


Wolf's Hunger

by DragonWhiskers



Series: Monsters Are We All [5]
Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Werewolf, But I use real places at times, Doctoer's office and exam, Dreams and Nightmares, Explicit Consent, F/M, First Kiss, First Time, Hiking, I'm mixing all kinds of lore and legends for this, Lakeside camping, Luke has all the Chill, Maz is awesome, Mildly Dubious Consent, Modern AU, Non-Consensual Voyeurism, Not a Real location, Protective Ben Solo, Real Talk of pregancy and conception, Rey is a runaway, Set in the Middle of Nowhere, Skin-Walkers, Sleeping bag under the stars, Unsafe Sex, Vaginal Sex, Virgin Rey (Star Wars), ZERO CHILL, camping without a tent, chased through the woods again, ditch lilies, living off the grid, local flora and fawna, mainly just Rey and Ben, minor mentions of most characters
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-22
Updated: 2020-01-19
Packaged: 2020-05-16 11:49:01
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 11
Words: 24,803
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19317571
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DragonWhiskers/pseuds/DragonWhiskers
Summary: On the run for her life, Rey encounters something she had never even dreamed possible out in the wilderness, will she be able to overcome the Wolf's Hunger?





	1. Howling In the Dark

Rey was running blindly in the forest. She could hear the monster growling behind her and in a panic, she ran faster.

Trees limbs snagged her hair, caught on her clothing and roots tried to trip her feet, but Rey forced her way past. If she could only make it to the cabin, her mind was desperately reaching for any possible safety or escape.

The cabin was still visible in the gloom of the darkening woods. Soon she'd be safe, she just needed to get inside. Rey used the last of her strength to reach the front porch. She didn't stop running, slamming her shoulder into the door, shoving it open.

Safe! She was safe, she told herself gasping in great lungfuls of air, she'd made it. Her lungs burned and her throat was raw as she pushed the door closed and slid down it.

The wards would keep the monster out.

The wards would keep her safe.

Outside she could hear it circling the cabin. Passing round and round, trying to find a way in, it's great snout sniffing after any whiff of her scent it could find.

She sat there listening to its claws drag over the leaves, listened to its snarls of frustration and occasionally whine in self-pity. Rey stayed there till her heartbeat slowed and her breathing was less ragged, thinking over everything Maz had told her about the cabin, the woods and that _thing_ outside.

 

It had scared her shitless the first time she'd heard it scraping and howling outside during the night. The noise had woken her and she'd thought a wolf had gotten into the tool shed or managed to get stuck inside the garden fence.

Rey had grabbed the lantern and her baseball bat ready to try and either help or scare off the animal.

What she had not expected while standing on her porch in her robe, was to be staring face to face with a monster. It had stood nearly 7ft on its hind legs, with pitch black fur, hands the size of shovels and claws to match.

Rey had stifled her scream, but when it swiveled its head around all she could see was it's burning yellow eyes as it looked at her.

Both of them froze for a moment. It had taken a step towards her and she panicked. Rey flung herself back into the cabin, locking the door frantically telling herself she had to be dreaming or hallucinating.

She had run into her room and quickly tucked herself into the closet, waiting, trying to hear over the sound of her heartbeat. Waiting for that _thing_ to burst into the room at any moment.

She waited half the night, but it never came. The monster never even set foot on the porch.

Rey had rushed to see Maz that morning when the sun came up. She thought maybe she had hallucinated the entire event. Maz had calmly listened to her and much to Rey's chagrin, Maz had not only understood her, the old woman even went so far as to call that creature a _guardian._

Skin-walker is what she had called it. A shapeshifter is what the settlers had called those of with the blood that could alter their bodies at will or by the call of the moon.

"Ah, you mean a werewolf? C’mon Maz, I don’t believe in fairy tales or movie monsters" Rey had been incredulous about it, but Maz snorted her laughter and she had said the skin-walker wasn’t just some monster, pointing out that Rey would be the best judge of what was truly a _monster_ in this world. Besides the skin-walker wasn't able to come in the cabin, too many wards, it couldn't cross those. As long as Rey stayed inside at night during the three nights of the full moon, the guardian would do just that. Guard. It's what she needed anyway.

Maz has also said that while the skin-walker was in the woods, nothing else would be. Rey had understood Maz's meaning, while one monster was lurking around none of the other monsters would come looking for her.

 

Slowly she pushed herself to her feet and stiffly walked to her bedroom. She wanted nothing more than a hot shower and sleep.

She could still hear the thing walking it's ward-imposed parameter around the cabin as she turned on the shower, glad the generator was running just fine after her last repair. Hot water was such a blessing at a time like this. She could let herself relax and drown out the sound of the creature just outside the cabin's walls.

After she stepped out of the wonderfully long and hot shower, Rey couldn't hear anything from the outside while she combed her wet chestnut hair. Staring at her reflection, at her hazel eyes and her smattering of freckles, Rey gathered her courage and risked a sneak peek past the blinds, just to see if it was still out there. She knew it would circle the place until dawn, but she always hoped it would give up early.

With a towel wrapped around her, Rey gently parted one of the blinds in her tiny bathroom window. The world was pitch black beyond the yard, the trees were nothing more than solid shapes blocking out the world.

There between them, Rey could see its eyes, glowing yellow-red as it stood motionless some distance from the window, staring back at her.

She sighed loudly and let the blind snap back into place. So it was going to stay out there all night again. Well, Rey thought, I've got nothing but time. She tossed her towel in the laundry hamper and walked to her bed, determined to get some sleep.

Even with that monster circling her, Rey was strangely comfortable and sleep came easily. Maybe she was just exhausted, but knowing one monster was around and it would keep all the other monsters, away was the last thing she thought of before sleep pulled her under.

 

The next day found Rey awake, sipping coffee on the front porch. The morning was cool with the feel of rain to come. She looked to see what "gift" the creature had left for her this time. Last time it had been a bloody side of a deer, before that it had been three rabbits and prior to the rabbits, it had been a bundle of wild lilies that grew along the dirt road that led to the cabin.

She was greeted by the sight of a bramble branch, thorny and twisted, but teeming with blackberries. Rey looked closer at the branch to see some dried blood on the thorns.

She smiled to herself as she picked up the offering.

That creature had possibly given her a way to track it down during the day. Maybe then she'd be able to kill it by putting a silver bullet - even if she'd have to melt down all the spoons in the cabin to make one - in its heart and end that last four months of hell she'd been living in.

  
Now it would be worth it to risk a trip to town. She just needed to talk to Maz and she might be able to finally find out just _what_ the damn thing wanted.


	2. Little Red Riding Hood

Rey waited until dawn the next day, giving herself as much daylight as possible. She grabbed the worn red oversized hoodie that she found in the storage closet and tugged on the hiking boots Maz had gifted her. It was going to take her better part of the morning to get there, but Rey felt she had to risk it. She'd have enough time to get back the cabin before dark, as long as she kept an eye on the time. Rey did not want to know what would happen if she was found by the thing outside of the cabin and the wards.

Her walk into town was thankfully uneventful and she savored the moment of peace and quiet. It was times like this that made her remember why she'd moved to this remote part of the forest, that and the need to stay hidden.

Town, if you wanted to call it a town, stood on the edge of the local reservation. Fifteen miles from her cabin, but it might as well have been the moon for how the townsfolk treated her. Just a general store, a post office and Maz's, the local bar. Tiny houses with twisted chain link fences, siding falling off and rusted out frames of cars dotted the yards. Rey headed past it all, just wanting to see Maz and head back as fast as she could.

On the way into the bar, she noticed a new Jeep Wrangler on the street in front of the bar. It was black and shiny, sticking out like a sore thumb amongst all the rusted and faded pick-ups in town that were at least twenty years older than it. Someone new was here, Rey thought, as she eyed the 4x4. It must be some dumb city person wanting to soak up the local culture or someone that got lost this side of Yellowstone. Those were the only reasons anyone new came to this town.

Rey, took one last look at the jeep before she pulled the door open and walked into the darkened bar.

Maz’s was all dark wood paneling that was aged by a good fifty years of smoke and beer. There were only the tacky neon signs and the numerous strands of Christmas lights to give any illumination to the place on the inside. The one pool table was occupied, but locals long gave up on noticing Rey. She’d realized they viewed her as some kind of pariah and didn’t mix with them much, save for her visits to talk to Maz. It was her cabin after all, that Rey was living in.

“Child, back again I see,” Called the little wizened woman from behind the long bar.

Rey smiled as soon as her eyes focused on Maz in her high waisted jeans and olive green button down with hand stitched Navajo designs over the breast pocket. The tiny woman was older then Rey had guessed and was one of the town elders, so the tribe gave her some leeway in what she did. Which was the only reason they seemed to tolerate Rey living on their land, that, and Maz was the tribe’s medicine woman.

“Hey, Maz. Do you have a moment? I would like to talk to you about the cabin,” Rey started, not wanting anyone to overhear her and start the rumor she’s also insane. She knew how crazy it all sounded and she’d been chased by the creature, seen its eyes glowing in the dark.

“Of course, child. We can talk in my office,” Maz, turned and walked into the back heading past the kitchen into the tiny closet she called her “office”.

Rey waiting until the door was shut and they were both seated at the desk before she started in on the most recent events. About how creature didn’t do like she said it would, about how it’s showing up every night and not just once a month and how it was leaving her gifts. Rey pulled out the sandwich bag she’d placed the pieces she’d cut off the bramble branch that had dried blood on the thorns.

Maz sat back and took off her oversized glasses, letting them rest on the chain that hung around her neck. She rubbed her face in her hands and stood up, clearly deep in thought. While Maz was looking for something in her file cabinet, Rey sat in silence and watched as the medicine woman gathered up an arm load of things.

Maz placed a bone-handled knife, a sage bundle, a lighter and a bowl on the desk. Rey continued to watch as Maz placed the sage in the bowl, breaking up the bundle and arranging it in a circle inside the bowl. Next, she dumped the blood covered thorns in the bowl.

“Child, I will need a drop of your blood. Please,” Maz handed her the knife, letting Rey decide where the drop should come from.

While she was hesitant about all of this, Rey had seen enough to know there were forces at work that she did not understand at all. Maz was still her best chance at staying hidden.

Rey held her left hand over the bowl and pricked at her ring finger, figuring it would be the least likely to get in the way of her using her hand in the near future. She let the blood well and watched as the bright red drop hit the thorns. 

It hissed and a wisp of white smoke curled up from the thorns. Rey just stared at it, unbelieving as she knew Maz hadn’t lite the sage, the lighter hadn’t been used yet.

"Um, what does that mean?" Rey asked in a hushed voice.

Maz leaned back in her chair, placing her glasses back on her face.

"Rey, I should have known from the moment I found you, but somehow I missed it," she reached over taking Rey's hands in her much smaller and aged ones. "Blood calls to blood. Like calls to like. I am sorry child, I should have seen it,"

"What are you trying to say? That thing and I are related?" Rey couldn't believe her ears.

"Not in the way you are thinking, not in family ties, but you are one and the same. You are a skin-walker as well. He's coming to you because he's found his mate,"

"WHAT? No, that's crazy! This whole situation is crazy! I'm not that thing's _mate!"_ Rey yanked her hands out from Maz's tender hold. She stood and started backing away from the smoking bowl and the bloody thorns it held.

"Rey, please. I understand it is a shock. But it's the reality of the situation. You were running for your life when we met. You were trying to fend for yourself in a world that would only devour you. Now child, now you know you have the power to keep yourself safe. You have the power to live any kind of life you want,"

Rey was staring at the older woman, she hadn't considered that as a possibility.

"But, how?"

"Try and find that steel will of yours and confront him. He will not be able to set one foot on that porch. Just let him see you, on your terms. Then you will see for yourself if he really is a monster,"

Maz stood and ushered Rey out of the room. But as two walked back through the kitchen, a thought popped into Rey's head, "Wait - I can't be the same thing - I can walk into the cabin. You said the skin-walker can't get in the cabin!"

Maz paused and smiled up at her, "Those wards are for that specific skin-walker's bloodline. I know my own medicine well enough and I know that family blood better then most. I've only met two skin-walkers in my life child, you make three." Maz was still smiling kindly at Rey as she continued on into the front of the bar.

Rey still deep in thought over the possibility she might be more than what she had known her whole life. All those years starving and slaving under Unkar Plutt...if it were true, had she known then - her life would have been so different.

Lost in her thoughts she didn't notice the tall man waiting on them as she came out from behind the bar.

"Ben Solo, what in the hell has dragged your ass out here?" Rey jumped a little at the shift in Maz's tone. She was glad she wasn't on the receiving end.

The man, Ben Solo, as it was just grinned down at the small wise woman.

"Hi, Maz. I'm here to see how Chewie's doing. Dad couldn't make the trip and Mom wasn't going to just let him wallow in misery not knowing, so she sent me," the man, Ben, gave Maz a lopsided smile and Rey felt like she was intruding.

There was obviously history between them, family history and Rey was an outsider in this community. She expected Ben to treat her no differently than the rest of the tribe did.

She turned to quietly leave when Maz spoke up. "Rey, I'd like you to meet Ben. Ben's here is checking up on my star patient and resident mechanic, Chewbacca. Who also happens to be this young man's godfather,"

Rey smiled slightly as she looked up into Ben's face, seeing his hooded dark eyes and a predominant nose. He was paler than her, with black wavy hair that touched his gray flannel covered shoulders. Moles and freckles were scattered across his face and the smile he gave her as he held out his hand for a shake, showed his slightly crooked teeth.

Rey reached out to shake hands, feeling his calloused and dry hand engulf hers. She jumped from the static shock that sparked between them.

Rey jerked her hand back, cradling it to her chest and she watched as Ben's eyes widened and he too shook out his hand, having clearly felt that.

"Maybe when Chewie's up to it, have him check you groundings here. Random electrocution isn't going to keep you in business Maz."

"You leave my husband to me, Ben Solo! You're worse than your father!" Maz huffed but there was no heat behind her words. "When you do decide to head home, tell your mother and that good for nothing father that Chewbacca is fine. He's still recovering from that dislocated shoulder, no thanks to your father for that, but he's in as good of spirits as ever."

Rey was starting to feel out place. These two clearly had family history and Rey always felt awkward around that with people, given her own family history.

"Now, out! The pair of you, out!" Maz snapped, "I've got a bar to run and I don't need two children here while I do it!" She waved her hands dismissing them at once.

Rey blinked in stunned silence while Ben just snickered, but they both headed for the door. He even held it open for her, which made Rey's breathe stutter and she tried to hide her face, worried she might be blushing.

"Well, it was nice meeting you, but I really do need to get going if I'm going to get back to the cabin before dark," Rey said with a smile, turning to leave.

"What? It's like three in the afternoon or something," he sounded confused.

Rey didn't turn around to responding, just shrugged her shoulders and kept walking, her mind wandering back to her problem at hand.

"You're walking back!? Ah, can I give you a lift? It's gotta be a helluva hike to your cabin," came a much closer voice then she was expecting.

Rey stopped and turned, seeing Ben right behind her, looking a little sheepish for almost standing on her heels.

"No, no it's ok. I don't want to take up your time," Rey shrugged again, "I'm fine, really." She watched his dark eyes roam over her face, serious and searching, but then he nodded slightly.

"I get it. I do, but I'm not a crazy psycho. You can trust me. Promise. Besides Maz'd skin me alive if she thought I'd hurt you. Let me drop you off and save you half the day," he grinned at her.

Rey couldn't help herself and she grinned in return. The idea of Maz intimidating this giant of a man was beyond silly, but then again Maz wasn't your average woman.

"I've got some home smoked deer jerky that I'm willing to share," he smiled wider, making his whole face light up. Rey was ruefully smiling in return, shaking her head even as she turned to walk back towards him. Maybe getting a lift wasn't a bad idea after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, so in all seriousness, I am totally making shit up whole cloth here. This is not based on any real town, nor a real Reservation. I am taking ridiculous liberties here when it comes to mentioning tribal day to day life. I know jack and shit about it and I did not research it on purpose. I wanted to keep it unrealistic and vague. 
> 
> The timeframe for this story is early 90's when there were still lots of rural places off the grid and not widespread cell phone usage. Just in case you were wondering.


	3. Don't Bite the Hand that Feeds

Ben didn't seem half bad as he all but jumped to open the passenger side door of his jeep. Rey was still smiling at him as he got into the driver's set.

"Here," he handed her a resealable container, "Maz shared her recipe with Mom years ago. I think you'll like it," he smiled at her again as he put the jeep in reverse and started down the road out of town.

"Maz is really incredible. And it's her cabin, not mine. She's just letting me stay there for the time being," Rey really hated small talk when it came to families, but she wanted to be polite.

"So how long has your family known Maz? Are you part of the local tribe?" She tried to sound casual, but her voice cracked and Rey quickly lifted a strip of jerky, taking a big bite out of it, trying to cover up her nerves.

Ben smiled at her as he glanced away from the road. "Not really, I mean, my grandparents settled here in '46. My grandfather built their home on Mustafar."

Rey listened as she chewed. He was right the jerky was delicious.

"I was told, my Grandma worked on behalf of the Reservation. She lobbied and fought for their rights and lands. They were close to the tribe, but not part of it. Mom's maintained some of those connections and she has ties in Congress. She's trying to help get expansion rights for the two local tribes to go in on a casino south of here, but the state is fighting it." His expression got a little dark then so Rey guessed it was a touchy subject.

"Wait, Mustafar? Isn't that the nearest dormant volcano?"

He chuckled at her shock. "Sweetheart, this whole area is a caldera - all of Yellowstone is a volcano. If Yellowstone blows, you won't need to worry about Mustafar,"

"I guess there is always something scarier out there, huh?" Rey said mostly to herself as her thoughts drifted back on her life. Plutt had always been the scariest thing in her life, but now...now she wasn't so certain.

Ben glanced away from the road again, but Rey didn't have the heart to look at him. He was just a charming guy that was trying to do a good deed. She kept her eyes out the window, watching the trees go past.

"You don't have to tell me about it, but I'd like to help if I can."

Rey could hear the sincerity in his voice and part of her wanted to believe him. It would be so nice to relax and trust someone. She was trusting Maz and Maz obviously trusted Ben. Maybe he was a good guy after all.

"I grew up in Jakku -"

"Jakku?!" He interrupted, clearly shocked and appalled.

"Yeah, that is the normal response. Anyway, I was never formally adopted, but my foster dad was a real piece of work. Two-bit petty crime boss that built himself a little empire in Jakku. I worked in the local scrapyard he owned and one day one of his _associates_ asked how much I cost. I told him I wasn't for sale and when he didn't take no for an answer I broke his jaw with my wrench," Rey kept her face turned away, her eyes no longer seeing the trees, but the dusty yellow landscape and rusted piles of scrap cars.

"That earned me my first real beating by Unkar. He told me after he'd knocked me to the floor that once Teedo's jaw healed, he'd be the first one Unkar said he’d sell me too. Told me I'd better be a good whore or I'd get another beating. I packed my bag that night, took all the cash I could find in the house and ran away."

"That was about six months ago. Maz met me at a gas station just inside the state line. I'd been hitchhiking trying to get north to Canada. I was thinking I could get there and try and work my way back to England. Try and find out where my real parents were from." Rey knew she sounded hollow, but it was better than crying.

She waited for the pity or the judgment, but nothing came.

She glanced over to see Ben was gripping the steering wheel so hard his knuckles were white. His jaw was clenched and she could see the strain in his neck.

"Ben?"

"I need a minute. Just give me a minute, Rey." His voice was rough with repressed anger. Rey felt strangely comforted by it. No one had ever been angry on her behalf before. Ben barely knew her and yet her life had him too angry to talk.

She took another stripe of jerky before sealing the container back up. She concentrated on chewing and let the silence stretch as long as he needed it to.

She tried not to watch him, but it was impossible not to notice little things about him. How broad his shoulders were compared to his waist, or how his legs stretched out forever or the way his ears occasional poked out from under his hair. Rey admitted to herself he was a strangely attractive man.

It wasn't until they turned onto the dirt and gravel road that was the last four miles of the way that Ben seemed to find his voice.

“Dad and Chewie served together in Vietnam. I’ve been told all kinds of horrible things exist in the world. Dad and Chewie never sugar coated things for me. Mom’s been neck deep in nitty-gritty politics my whole life, my uncle is the hippie in the family, but even he talks about how bad things can be, but, _fuck,_ Rey. That is awful! Is there anything I can do to help? I mean I understand Maz is helping, but do you need anything? Is there something that I can do that would help?”

Rey was warmed by his offer, by the sincerity in his voice and that surprised her.

"Well, yeah there is. Don't tell anyone where I'm staying. Don't mention me to anyone and don't bring anyone else out to the cabin," She turned to see him staring at her, then he nodded in understanding.

"Yeah, yeah. Laying low and staying off the grid. I get it," Ben paused for a moment. "Do you think he's looking for you?"

"I know he is. No one steals from Unkar and gets away with it. He'll try and track me down just out of spite if nothing else," Rey sighed. "It's one of the reasons I came this way to hide, fewer people, less chance of someone ratting me out. I knew I couldn't hide in a city. I'd considered L.A. or Vegas, but money talks and cities are crowded and full of people trying to get by. I just wanted to disappear."

Ben rounded the curve just before the road ended. The cabin was just up the trail another ten minutes or so, but there was no way his 4x4 would fit on the trace. There was barely enough room for three people to walk side by side on it the trees were so dense here. It completely hid the cabin from view and if you didn't know it was there, you'd never find it.

He put the jeep in park and turned in his seat to look at her. Rey suddenly wished he was still half focused on driving. Having his undivided attention was a bit unnerving all of a sudden.

"Well, um. Thanks for the lift. I guess I'll, um. Yeah,  I'll let you get back to your day." Rey was getting nervous about being alone with Ben, in his jeep in the middle of the forest. She got out and started walking up the trial.

"Wha - hey!" She heard his door open and close before he rushed up to her. "Rey, I- well, I would like to see you again. Maybe take you out to dinner sometime. Would - would you like -"

"Look, Ben. Thank you, but I'm having some problems with a -" Rey paused, unsure of what to say about her little monster problem. Maz claimed she was the same thing. While that _thing_ had never hurt her, what was to keep it from hurting Ben? No, Rey couldn't risk it.

"Problem with what?"

"Oh, ah wolves," she said remembering how wolf-like her monster had looked. _Her monster._ Great, just great, now she really had gone off the deep end.

"Wolves?" Ben sounded stunned and skeptical.

"Ah, well, more of just one big black one. He comes around at sunset. I just stay inside until he leaves in the morning. I'm not sure if he's fascinated by the cabin or trying to get one of the three chickens I have in the coop, or maybe the generator noise bothers him. I don't know, but I wouldn't want you getting bit or something."

Ben was eyeing her and Rey was worried he could see right through her fabricated story.

"A lone wolf won't survive on his own for long. They aren't necessarily threats, unless corned. You're smart to stay inside till he leaves, but you could always set a trap or two. That would take care of the problem," Ben still sounded like he didn't fully believe her, but he offered advice anyway.

Rey felt her throat close a little. She didn't want to lie to him, he had been so kind to her, but she didn't want him to think she was crazy or worse, risk him getting hurt trying to help her more.

"I'd like to have dinner, though. Maybe tomorrow?" She hoped changing the subject would distract him from her _problems._

Ben grinned, a full wide smile that made his eyes nearly disappear.

"Yeah? Yeah! Sure. I can pick you up around 4, that sound good? I know a great ski lodge that has fantastic a menu," his enthusiastic response made her smile.

"Ski lodge? In the summertime? Would they even be open?"

"Oh, yeah, the restaurant's open nearly year round. They have some of the best BBQ this side of Yellowstone state park," he was still smiling at her, and Rey suspected he'd be smiling all the way back to his place.

"That's a pretty big boost, I hope they can live up to it," Rey chuckled a little as she realized she really didn't want Ben to leave, but she needed him to. "Ok, well, I'm going to head up to the cabin and get cleaned up. I'll see you tomorrow," she turned and started up the hill, pausing to look back and see Ben climbing into his jeep. He waved as she watched him start it up and put it in reverse.

And Rey found she was the one smiling all the way up to the cabin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been a crap day, so you all get an early post...because I can!


	4. Even Someone Pure of Heart...

Later that night as Rey debated if she should try Maz’s suggestion on confronting the beast, she found herself looking forward to tomorrow and spending time with Ben. He seemed nice and genuine and damn, he was good looking, she thought as she made herself a cup of coffee.

Maz had told her to live in the cabin like she owned it. Rey had been hesitant at first but after being trapped in there for months on end, she had created her own routine and had made the place feel like a home to her. So with a mug in hand and a crocheted throw blanket around her shoulders, Rey sat down on the carved bench to start her vigil. She also had her baseball bat within arms reach and the front door was ajar in case she needed to be inside quickly.

The night stretched on and on, the woods around her coming alive with the sounds of night insects and birds. Random owls hooted softly,  a lonely call of a raven, nothing out of the ordinary. Rey could even hear the splash of something in river that ran about 100 yards behind the cabin. The night was utterly peaceful and Rey was soon lulled into a drowsy state, having waited and waited but not seeing any signs of the skin-walker.

Maybe it's finally given up, she thought as she tucked her feet up under her, pulling more of the blanket over her legs. She fluffed the old worn cushions a little and wigged down into them, getting as comfortable as she could. The night was warm with a cool breeze and soon Rey started to doze off as she listened to the woods around her. 

 

***

 

Rey blinked her eyes against the light. The smell of loom and a fresh breeze woke her fully as it was stronger then it should've been. She sat up to find she had slept all night out on the porch and the day was well past sunrise now. She glanced around slowly.

There was nothing disturbed, no sign of the creature to been seen. Stiffly she stood and stretched, letting the blanket fall back on the bench. Rey cracked her back and she breathed a sigh, maybe the damn thing had finally decided to give up.

Rey gave one last look at the front yard before she headed inside for a shower. She shook her head trying to understand why she wasn’t more pleased about the sudden change and why she slightly felt like she had been abandoned again. 

 

***

 

"Hi!" Ben called out. Rey watched him from the kitchen window, as he came up the trail with a big grin on his face. He had a hand behind his back as he walked right up to the open window, just a few inches higher than his eye level.

"Hi, yourself. What do you have there?" Ray asked, smiling down at him, watching as he tipped his head up to look her in the eyes.

"I noticed the tiger lilies are in bloom when I parked, so I grabbed some for you," he pulled a large bouquet of the orange black spotted lilies out from behind his back.

Rey was immediately taken back to the bundle of the same lilies the skin-walker had left on her porch and she froze for a moment. She saw Ben's hopeful expression wilt and it snapped her out of her shock.

"That really surprised me - thank you! Here," she reached over the window sill and took the offered bouquet, "I'll put these in some water. Why don't you come on in and I'll make some coffee."

"I'd love to, but we need to get moving. I may have had to make reservations and if we're not there on time, our table will go to the next on the waiting list," Ben called into the window, as Rey placed the pitcher of water with the lilies on the kitchen table.

"Oh, ok. Let get my shoes on and I'll meet you out front," Rey saw he grinned at her before he headed back around to the porch. 

 

***

 

As Ben pulled the jeep up to the ski lodge, Rey thought it looked like some odd amalgamation of McMansion and a log cabin on steroids. Strangely enough, she didn’t think it was unpleasant, just too much of a good thing, then again is this place wanted to have a hundred people or more at any given time during the peak season, she guessed it was appropriate if a bit too much for her taste. 

“So this place isn’t seeing as many vacationers and skiers right now or?” Rey asked after they had valet take the jeep and they were taken to their table. She looked out the large window, taking in the beautiful view of tree-lined mountains with snow-capped peaks in the distance.

“Too early for snow. When the days start getting shorter, this place will be packed solid with people itching to get out on the slopes,” Ben said as he glanced over the menu, “But plenty of folks come in the off-season too. Good hiking trails and good food,” he smiled at her as he set his menu down.

“I wouldn’t know about the hiking around here. Making the trip in to see Maz now and then is about all the hiking I’ve done and that's just like walking a whole bunch,” Rey commented as she decided on the BBQ chicken breast, she wanted to see if Ben’s bragging had been legitimate or not.

“Wait, you’ve been living here for months and you haven’t gone hiking yet?” He sounded surprised, and while Rey didn’t blame him, he really didn’t know half the story.

“Hey, I’m trying to not be seen too much, remember?” Rey caught herself before she raised her voice, but Ben's hands went up in surrender all the same, so she tried to backpedal, "Sorry, you have a point, but -"

"But nothing. There is nothing you need to be sorry for, Rey. I just wasn't thinking about your situation. I'm the one that needs to apologize," he said while reaching across the table and covered her hand with his.

His hand engulfed hers and the warmth of his skin on hers was both comforting and exciting. Rey glanced up to see Ben was leaning in, his brown and caramel eyes fixed on her. She knew she was blushing now.

Thankfully the moment was interrupted by their food arriving. Rey focused her attention onto the meal in front of her and she was not disappointed. They started eating in somewhat strained silence, but she really didn't know how to change it.

"So I have an idea if you want to hear me out?" Ben said after a few more bite of his prime rib.

Rey had her mouth full, so she nodded and placed her hand over her mouth, " _Surh,_ " she mumbled through her food, " _Wat du ou ave en mand?_ "

Ben grinned at her and Rey hoped she didn't look like a complete moron talking with her mouth full.

"I should take you hiking up Mustafar. It's private property and no one but me is staying at the lodge. We can hike up to the crater and picnic by the lake,"

Rey swallowed hard and reached for her water. "Mustafar? As in Mt. Mustafar? That dormant volcano Mustafar?"

"Yes, that Mustafar. My family owns the mountain - or volcano," he said with a smile like it was some kind of joke. Rey didn't really find it funny, but again she was reminded that there are always bigger and scarier things to be found.

"So there's a lodge on Mustafar? Who'd build on the side of a volcano?" Rey was stunned at the idea. It didn't seem the most logical of choices.

"My grandfather and most of Hawaii, for that matter," Ben grinned at her again.

"Ok, ok, I give. No more. But you'll have to admit it wasn't such a great idea for Pompeii," Rey smiled back, enjoying their flirty banter.

"Oh, touche," but he was laughing when he said it, so Rey didn't care who was winning now, it was just rewarding to see Ben finding her amusing.

"Alright, so that's where you're staying, at the private lodge on the side of a volcano. Ben, has anyone ever told you, your kinda reckless?"

"Yep. Dad's nickname for me was 'Little Bandit'. I've been told it suited me well when I was growing up,"

Rey tried to stifle her giggle fit at the roguish lopsided smirk he was giving her. The title 'Little' anything no longer applied to this man, Rey thought. He must know that too, from the way he was puffing up in his seat.

"Ok, so hiking on a dormant volcano and lakeside picnic, when did you want to go?" She couldn't believe she was agreeing but she really wanted to spend more time with Ben. He made her feel special and he was funny and sweet. Rey felt like she was floating on air around him, like she could forget all her troubles and just be happy with him around. 

"Yeah? You wanna go? With me?" He sounded surprised and nearly dropped his fork before he quickly recovered his dignity. "Let me double check the weather, but I think this weekend would be perfect for a hike!"

Rey smiled at how enthusiastic he was to the idea. She couldn't miss that he seemed to enjoy her company as well.

The rest of the meal was shared in happy conversation over hiking do's and don'ts and some of Ben's stories about how he learned those do's and don'ts. Rey found herself laughing more than not as he regaled her with his lessons learned.

It was getting on in the evening, dusk setting in by the time Ben was walking her up to the front porch of the cabin. She was trying to not let her anxiety override the happy date she'd shared with Ben. The creature hadn't shown up last night, so maybe he wouldn't show up tonight either.

She really didn't want Ben to leave as they walked around the back, her showing him how she'd repaired the old generator that powered the cabin and the improvements she'd made to the chicken coop and the garden.

As they walked back around to the porch Rey felt herself blush a little when she asked him to come inside.

"As much as I want to, I should get going," he said with a sad smile that crushed her happy feelings, just a little bit.

"Oh. Ok, I understand," she mumbled quietly looking down to keep him from seeing the heartbreak in her eyes.

She felt his big warm hand cup her cheek and he tilted her face back up to me his.

"No, I don't think you do," he spoke softly, his caramel eyes warm and gentle as she looked up at him.

"I really _really_ want to come in, but I think that might be moving too fast." She watched as he stepped into her space, bringing the line of his body just barely touching hers. Rey could feel the heat coming off him and she wanted to press herself against him to feel more of it. She thought hadn't felt this warm since she'd ran from Jakku.

She shivered in the light evening breeze that ruffled Ben's dark waves and he drew her closer still, now holding her waist in one hand while the other cradled her cheek.

"Rey," he whispered as he lowered his head. Her breath caught at the softness of his voice and her eyes fluttered shut.

His lips were plush and the gentle press of them onto hers made her head swim. A moan rose in the back of her throat and her hands reached out to steady herself as she felt him responding to her more. The hand at her waist tightened before he slid it up her back hugging her into his chest. Rey was all too happy to be pressed up against him as Ben seemed to be a solid wall of heated muscle under her hands.

Rey was letting Ben take the lead since this was her first kiss and she wasn’t sure what to do, but all too soon he was easing off and stepping back from her.

Rey didn't want to seem clingy so she reluctantly let her hands slid off him and she cast her eyes downward, embarrassed that she might be terrible at kissing. She hoped she wasn't blushing, but when he tipped her chin back up, she could see he was aware of it as his face softened even more.

"Hey, come on. I'll be back this Saturday and we'll spend the entire weekend together. Promise." He looked beseechingly at her before giving her that lopsided grin.

Rey smiled in return, nodding her head. She really was looking forward to it. Ben's grin widened and he leaned in giving her a quick kiss, too fast for her to kiss him back.

"Goodnight sweetheart and sweet dreams. I'll be back in a few days. Pack an overnight bag and remember to wear two pairs of socks," He said as he started backing up, smiling the whole while with a little more bounce in his step.

He was walking backward watching as she went up the porch steps. She waved as he near the bend in the trail and watched as he walked out of sight.

Rey let out a large sigh. She had wanted him to come in for a while, but she wasn't one hundred percent sure on whether or not she was ready for sex.

Rey turned the idea over in her mind as she went about her evening routine. She certainly liked Ben and she was highly attracted to him. He cared about going too fast, which was sweet, maybe he wanted things to be special. He seemed like that kind of guy.

But the way her body felt after that first kiss left no doubt in her mind she did want him. Maybe he was right and tonight wasn't the best option, but that didn't mean she couldn't think about it.

While she made herself a cup of hot cocoa, using the last of the mix Maz had in the cabin, Rey thought about what could have happened if Ben had stayed.

They would be sitting on the couch watching the fireplace. He would have slid himself over her, pressing her down into the cushions. Or maybe they would have been in the bedroom, slowly peeling each other's clothes off.

Rey let her thoughts wander as she readying herself for bed, her hands traveled over her skin, with more pressure than normal as she imagined Ben's large hands in place of her own. As she laid back on the bed, her legs falling open to the vision of Ben in her head.

Her fingers toyed with her clit, gentle circles with random pinches and taps before resuming her feather-light circles. Soon she was rubbing her fingers through her wetness and she redoubled her attention on her clitoris.

Rey was picturing Ben's dark eyes and how he'd felt when he'd kissed her. She was moaning softly as she rubbed herself to completion. Her body curled up on itself before she relaxed on the bed and snuggled down into the blankets, completely unaware of the pair of glowing yellow-red eyes that watched her from the open window. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is the date! And another early(ish) post. I'm going to move my post days to the Weekends now. Still working within a two-week window to give me enough time to edit or type out things. 
> 
> So what are the theories so far? I would love to hear where people think this story is heading.


	5. The Pack Survives

Rey awoke the next morning feeling rested and eager for the day to begin. She’d dreamed about Ben and their kiss and she couldn’t wait for Saturday. Three days to go, she told herself as she got dressed, heading into the kitchen to make herself a cup of coffee. While the coffee maker was percolating, Rey slipped on her shoes and grabbed the bag of dried corn and seeds to give her three hens their breakfast and keep them occupied while she collected her breakfast from the coop.

With three eggs in hand, Rey was smiling happily as she made her way back into the kitchen, placing one egg in the fridge and setting the other two in the sink. She hummed to herself as she went about making herself an omelet with shredded cheese and diced ham. A few stripes of bacon went into the pan as well to fry up alongside her omelet.

She poured herself a cup of coffee adding a little cream and sugar because she could. As she sipped, Rey leaned against the counter, her eyes looking over the bright orange lilies that Ben had picked for her. They really did look nice and they certainly brightened up the kitchen. 

She let her mind go over the shock the sight of the flowers had given her and she shook her head, bemused with her own reactions - to a bunch of flowers.

She had other things far more worrying than flowers, she thought as she dug into her omelet. That _beast_ hadn't been back for two nights now, and Rey was hoping this would be the new trend. She just couldn't bring herself to believe what Maz had told her and frankly, if the creature never showed up again, it would be too soon for her.

She finished up her breakfast, placing the dishes in the sink to wash later. Now she wanted to see what kinds of clothes were still stored in the spare bedroom.

Maz had told her to use anything she needed in the house and had said Rey was welcome to sort through the closets and boxes to find clothes, shoes, coats, and anything else she might like. Rey had been too timid at first to take more than a few changes of jeans and some shirts, but now she needed to see what else there was for her.

Rey pulled out the boxes of jumbled clothing and decided she was going to sort and organize it all. It became somewhat of a game to her. Each new box had different seasonal clothing as well as other odds and ends in it

Rey found a glove in the bottom of a box of warm weather clothes and its match in a box of bedsheets and towels. Thick wool socks were buried in the same box of towels, while mixed in with the t-shirts she found a blue satin nightgown with the price tag still attached.

Maz had mentioned a lot of the stuff had been left over from a few community clothing drives and one store that had gone out of business. Rey started a pile of what she wanted and sorted the rest so when she was done there was a box for each type of item or season.

All in all, Rey was very pleased with what she had found. Three more pairs of jeans, a little long in the legs, but she wasn't afraid to roll the ends up if she needed too. All the t-shirts worked no matter what so she happily added them to her pile.

There was a red flannel that was too big, but was so soft she had to keep it, as well as the old Carhartt jacket, thinking of winter and the need to chop firewood no matter what. There was another pair of boots, a few sizes too big, but she thought if she wore three pairs of socks they might work and the most ridiculously long knitted scarf Rey had ever seen. She could wrap it around her head, neck and still drape over her shoulders and down her back.

She moved all her new clothes to the closet in her bedroom after storing the boxes back in the spare bedroom.

By now it was past two and she wanted to spend some time in the garden.

Rey happily passed the afternoon away weeding and watering her flourishing vegetable garden, picking a ripe tomato here and pulling a few carrots there. It didn't take her long to have a heaping basket full to make herself a salad to accompany her dinner that night.

By the time dusk rolled in, Rey was curled up on the couch with a mystery novel she pulled off the bookcase. The fireplace crackled cheerfully as a cool breeze rustled the curtains.

It's a perfect evening Rey thinks, she just wished _someone_ was here to share it with her. 

 

***

 

The next two days go by in a blur of anticipation and trying to distract herself. She knew she'd be gone for the weekend so she rigged a feeder for the chickens, swept the floors and aired out the entire cabin.

She was out Saturday morning double-checking the weights and levels on the feeder when Ben came around the cabin. She looked up to see he had a steaming styrofoam cup of coffee in each hand.

"G'morning Sunshine! Ready to go on your first hiking trip?" He grinned as he handed her one of the to-go cups. She returned his grin while accepting the coffee.

"Look at that. That's ingenious!" He walked around her checking out her little contraption. 

"Have the chickens figured it out yet?" Ben asked pointing to the slightly raised board at their feet just inside the chicken-wire fence.

"Yeah, I showed them how to spill the corn and seeds this morning when I fed them," Rey was ridiculous pleased at how impressed Ben seemed to be over her feeder.

"See here," she pointed to the spring and pulley, "All three of them have to stand on the board and the corn will tip over for them. Once they scatter to eat, it goes back up."

"Wow, you made this with just the spare junk you found around here?" He sounded a little awestruck and Rey knew she was blushing again. 

"Well, yeah. There is plenty of things in the garden shed and I did seal the spring from the back screen door, but the hinge is broken so I was removing the door anyway," Rey trailed off when she noticed Ben was staring at her with a little funny smile on his face.

"What?" She was suddenly very self-conscious hoping she didn't have some of her breakfast on her face or something like that.

"You're amazing. Just simply amazing," he said quietly. Rey looked down, trying to hide how much his words affected her.

Ben stepped into her space and placed a quick kiss on her forehead, "Go grab your bag. I've got a box of fresh donuts in the jeep. I bet the apple fritters are still warm," his eyes were still soft, but he had stepped back out of reach.

Rey perked up at that. Those sounded delicious even if she’d never had one before. She smiled up at him, "Alright. I'll meet you down at the jeep."

 

*** 

 

  
Rey was giggling and eating the last of the donuts as they pulled up in front of the Mustafar Lodge, but once she looks out the window all she can do is stare.

The lodge was huge! To her it looked like an A-frame cabin had a love child with a castle. The south-facing wall was mostly triangular-shaped glass and wooden struts forming a slight two-sided wall with a high peak that took up two stories.

She could see a wrap-around balcony just below the window wall. Ben had parked facing the lodge and Rey realized he was watching her from outside the jeep. She quickly climbed out and tried to get a grip on her reaction.

"You're staying here? All by yourself?" Rey asked as she came around the jeep to stand near him. Ben didn’t even have the decency to look sheepish as he grinned down at her.

“Yeah, apparently my grandfather never did anything by halves. C’mon, I’ll show you around before we grab the rest of the gear and head out,”

He held the door open for her, ushering her inside the cool, darken lodge. Rey could barely keep her mouth from hanging open at the opulent interior. It had a rustic feel, but nothing as tacky as taxidermied animals or antlers for decorations. It was all polished wood and stone. Pottery mixed in with books that lined the bookcases and shelves. A large wrought iron chandelier hung down from the vaulted ceiling near the stone fireplace that was made into a freestanding wall. Large woven rugs dotted the hardwood floors and overstuffed leather furniture with matching end tables here and there. 

Ben smiled at her before he turned to lead her into the kitchen. More stone and wood greeted her as he pulled out a bar stool from under the island. He walked over to the fridge and pulled out two water bottles before placing one in front of her.

“Ben, this place is incredible!” Rey said, not even trying to keep the awe out of her voice.

He chuckled a little as he opened her water bottle, “Yeah, it is. We, well the family anyway, had some renovations done a few years ago. But no one can agree on what to do with the place either open it for the public or keep it private."

Rey cocked her head, “What do you mean? What would need to be done? Did something not get fixed right?”

“No, not at all. See Mom’s a bit of a politician and it might not look too good for her family to own a private hunting lodge on the side. That's what my Grandfather intended this place to be. Luke, my uncle, hates the idea and wants to tear the place down. Mom’s still undecided. Dad and Chewie just like to come here to fish up at the lake. Dad wants to clear some land to build a small runway for his G36 Beechcraft, he calls it the _Falcon,"_  he said as he leaned his elbow down on the countertop across from her.

“Your dad’s a pilot?” she asked after taking a drink of her water.

“Well, sort of - he was never formally trained unless you count the military."

“Oh...wait - what?”

“See, that’s how Chewie go the dislocated shoulder. Dad crashed on their last trip. Dad’s at home with a broken leg,” Ben sighed and looked embarrassed on his father’s behalf.

“So he learned to fly in the military, but never got his pilot's license once he was out-”

“Yep,”

“Oh -wow,”

“That’s one thing to say. Mom says a whole lot of things at length and now Dad is stuck until the cast comes off...She’s saying them all at once,”

Rey laughed before she could catch herself, “So that’s why you’re here and not there?” she giggled more at Ben’s redding cheeks and she noticed the tops of his ears, from what little she could see peaking through his dark hair.

“Yeah, at first, but it was the reason I got out of the house,” he finished his water, before tossing the bottle in the trash can, “But enough of that, we should get moving before the sun gets too high and starts heating up the trail.”

Rey stood, screwing the cap back on her barely touched the water.

“No, finish that. I’ve got two large cantinas for the trip, but you should get some more water in you before we start,” Ben gave her a small smile, but didn’t move to follow her as she turned to head to the door.

“Oh, ok.” Rey quietly said, feeling herself turning redder by the moment as he watched her gulp down the water. She wasn't used to people telling her to drink more water, she didn’t know how to react to it. After she finished it she handed the bottle to Ben, who was practically glowing at her. Rey felt herself flush more and she kept her eyes down as he walked past her, opening a different door.

It led into the garage, where he had a large backpack set aside. Rey still had her smaller backpack in the jeep, but she didn’t have nearly a third of what was hanging off Ben’s pack.

They walked out another side door leading back outside by the jeep. Rey retrieved her bag and offered to take some of the load from Ben.

“Don’t worry about it sweetheart, I’ve got surprises in here for later. It’s nothing more than I’m used to carrying and this is your first time on this trail. You shouldn’t be carrying too much since you don’t know what you’re in for,” He grinned at her as he hoisted the large green backpack up over his arms. She shuffled her feet as he buckled the straps and declared he was ready to go. Rey nodded and followed him as he set off away from the lodge and into the trees. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prep and start to the big hiking trip and more importantly the second date!!
> 
> How many wanna place bets on how this will turn out?? 
> 
> Hmmmm? I'm all ears.
> 
> <3


	6. Two Wolves inside Us All

The sun was streaming in through the trees, burning off the early morning fog the higher they trekked up the side of the mountain. Rey marveled at the beauty around her. The dense evergreens and redwoods kept the air cool and damp, while the sun warmed her each time she passed through as golden beam of light.

The hiking trail switched back on itself keeping them on the south side of the mountain and they passed over a stream that seems to be getting wider the higher they went. Ben stayed quiet for most of the hike, letting Rey taking in the surroundings on her own, occasionally pointing out a tree type or a random chipmunk or deer as they passed by.

Rey guessed the time to be nearing noon, given that the sun was almost above the trees, she was feeling the strain of the hike. Rey didn’t want to admit it, but Ben had been right, and she was thankful he’d taken most of the burden of the gear. She was starting to feel the burn in her calves and shoulders. She was so focused on putting one foot in front of the other she didn’t notice Ben has stopped and she nearly ran into his backpack.

He turned around with a wide toothy grin on his face, Rey was certain her face was red from more than just the hike.

"Ready for a break?" He asked as he tugged the straps of his backpack off his shoulders.

"Yeah, a break would be nice," Rey followed his lead and dropped her pack down beside his.

Ben was busy opening zipped pockets as Rey looked around the little clearing they stopped it. It was a flat spot of ground less than ten feet wide where the trail turned back east as it gradually climbed up the mountain slope.

Rey noticed there was a second path that branched off, the trail lost in between a large fissure in the rock face. There was an odd sound echoing off the rock walls. Rey couldn't figure out what the sound was, so she moved closer.

She was trying to peek around the natural opening when Ben tapped her on the shoulder, scaring a small gasp out of her.

"Jesus - Ben! Don't do that!"

He was trying to keep the smile off his face as he handed her a large protein bar - cookies and cream flavored, before taking a bite out of his own snack bar.

Rey couldn't help it, she was smiling too as she tore into the wrapper. The protein bar was not chocolate, but it wasn't bad either. She happily devoured the whole thing.

"So what's that noise coming from? Wind or something?" She asked licking the crumbs from her fingers.

"You wanna find out?" Ben asked holding out a canteen of cold water. Rey took a deep drink, glad he had the foresight to bring it.

"Can't you just tell me?"

"And ruin the surprise? Never!" He laughed as he capped the canteen. He tucked it back into his backpack and walked over to her grinning like a madman.

"C'mon! Let's go find out!" He grabbed her hand tugging her in the direction of the split rock.

"Whaddya mean 'find out'? It's not fair when you already know!" Rey tried to sound grumpy but she was also trying not to laugh at Ben's childish antics. She let him tug her along as they passed into the tight valley between the rocks.

Her mind was buzzing with all kinds of bizarre ideas of what could be making that growing roaring sound. Wind through the thin gorge or maybe the sound was from the bubbling magma inside this not-so-dormant volcano.

Rey dismissed these ideas as the air was getting damp the further in they plunged. She noticed the rock surface was wet with condensation as well moss clinging to it.

"Watch your step, it gets slick in spots," Ben called over his shoulder, even though he had yet to release her hand. Rey just rolled her eyes at the back of his head. He knew exactly where they were going.

The roaring sound was getting louder still as they came around a bend in the gorge.

Rey as watching the ground, small puddles were everywhere and while her hiking boots called out waterproof, Rey didn't want to slip and fall on her butt in front of Ben.

Ben stopped moving and Rey noticed the pool of water before she looked up and gasped.

It was a waterfall!

Not an extremely wide one, but high. Easily taller than Ben's lodge. Rey was stunned speechless as she stared at the endlessly falling water.

She felt Ben come up behind her, giving her a quick hug, so he could lean down and speak into her ear over the roar of the water.

"It's part of the underground aquifer that filled the crater and made the lake. This feeds into the main river about four miles due south of here."

Rey shivered both at Ben's proximity and at the rapidly cooling of the air around them. It was at least ten to twelve degrees cooler by the side of the falls.

He hugged her tightly before he backed away.

"Come on, let's get our gear and get back on it. I want to make camp before nightfall,"

Rey's mouth hung open, "What?! It'll take that long to get there?" She didn't know if she'd be able to make the rest of the hike. She had hoped they were closer to the top than halfway.

Then she watched as Ben clamped a hand over his mouth while his eyes danced with restrained laughter. When she pressed her mouth closed in a tight line and glared at him, Ben lost his fight for composure.

"Oh, God, you're face!" Came muffled from behind his hand before Ben erupted in a fit of half-stifled chuckles before he was able to move his hand away from his mouth.

Rey continued to glare at him while he regained his sensibilities.

"Sorry Sweetheart. I couldn't resist. We're about fifteen minutes away from the campsite or thirty if you wanna take it slow," he smiled and helped out his hand.

Rey considered not taking it, but she really liked the feeling of holding his hand.

"You're an arse, you know that, right?" Rey asked while she let their fingers intertwine.

"Yeah, I know," he ducked his head, but there was a smile still in place.

"Good. Just as long as we're on the same page with that. You overgrowth mammoth of an arse,"

He was still smiling at her as they walked back out to collect their backpacks and continued on up the trail.

 

***

 

Ben had been correct in his estimate of thirty minutes before they reached their destination.

Just as they came out of the treeline, Rey had stood utterly awestruck at the vastness of the crater's lake. It was a wide misshapen oval that was edged with pine trees climbing up the sloped rocky sides of the crater and a black sandy shoreline. All leading her eyes to the most vibrant blue water she had ever seen.

The sun was reflected off the pure sapphire of the lake as wispy clouds spun out overhead. The entire vista was enchanting and Rey felt an intense sense of just how truly moving nature could be.

Ben walked up behind her quietly, just standing beside her, as they both took in the view. She heard him take in a deep breath before a great gust of a sigh left him.

"Quite the view isn't it?"

She turned to see he was still looking out at the lake. "It's beautiful. I've never seen anything like it," she let the sheer awe of the crater fill her voice as she looked back out at the lake.

"Yeah, beautiful." He said softly.

Rey turned back to see he was now looking at her instead of the picturesque view in front of them.

She didn't know if he was talking about the lake or her, but she blushed all the same. His caramel eyes warmed and his grin softened as he reached down to hold her hand.

"Wanna learn how to set up a fire for cooking over?" He asked playfully while tugging her hand back towards the camp he started setting up.

"Oh, so we're not going to roast hotdogs on sticks?" Rey was glad Ben decided to go back to joking around. While she hoped he found her beautiful, she was still getting butterflies in her stomach every time Ben got that soft heated look in his eyes.

"Oh, how little you think of my cooking skills I see. I will have you know, I didn't bring any hotdogs. I do however have two foil-wrapped and seasoned t-bone steaks ready to be grilled up," he let go of hand to lean down and pop open the small travel cooler he'd brought along.

"And I have two ready to cook potatoes to go with those t-bones," he said as he pulled out the tin foil wrapped items and handed them to her.

They moved over to the ring of stones that marked the firepit. There was an old grill top off to the side waiting to be placed back on the spits.

Ben talked as he gathered up the chopped wood from the pile nearby. Plenty leftover from the last time his father and Chewie came on a  fishing trip. He explained how some types of wood give off more smoke than others, that some were better for cooking, others for keeping bugs away, and some that just smelled better than others.

Rey watched as he stacked the chopped logs creating a tunnel for heat and space for airflow, helps keep the coals hot, he said.

Next, he grabbed a bunch of dry twigs and small branches, breaking them down and making a neat pile underneath the stacked logs. Ben pulled out a box of wooden matches and started dropping lite ones onto the twigs.

"This is the tricky part," he said as Rey watched him lightly blow on the smoking kindling, "You can't blow too hard or you'll blow your fire out, but you want to give the fire enough air to catch in the thicker wood. The kindling will burn up too fast if you're not careful."

"You could always use lighter fluid," Rey remarked, "That's how I light the fireplace at the cabin."

"Do you cook over that fire?"

"Ah, no. I have a gas stove for cooking,"

"Good. Residual chemicals and smells can really taint your food if you do that," he stood up and brushed off his hands on his jeans.

"There! Now we set the grill back up, place the potatoes on the sides here and wait for a little bit. Then we'll start the steaks."

They walked along the water's edge while they waited for the fire to work its way into the logs. Ben showed her how to skip stones across the water's surface. She managed to tie him, eleven skips before her rock sunk

"See, that wasn't hard. I told you, you just needed a teacher," Ben smiled down at her as the walked back up to the fire pit.

"Alright then _oh wise teacher,_ let's make some steaks. I'm starving!" Rey had rolled her eyes at him but had settled down to watch and learn how he was going to be cooking their dinner.

By the time sunset found them, the two were sitting side by side on one of the thick sleeping bags Ben had brought.

"So your grandpa met her while in the service. Returned to Sweden at the end of the war and he proposed?"

Rey had been curious about Ben's history and that of the man who built the lodge for his wife, a man who chose to raise his family on a volcano.

"Yeah, after they moved out here, he had wanted to rename the mountain after her, but she never let him,"

"Mt. Padme?" While the name sounded silly to her, Rey thought the gesture was utterly romantic.

"Amidala," Ben said a name that didn't make any sense.

"What?"

"Mt. Amidala. Grandma was from a royal bloodline. Europe was devastated after the war and she just wanted someplace to start over. They both did. She gave up her family's title and married him, moving to the states," Ben seemed wistful as he with his arms loosely around his open knees. He was stared out at the lake, but Rey was fairly certain he wasn't seeing the water or the dancing hues of orange and pink from the sunset on the water's surface.

"So what does that make you?" Rey grinned at him when his head whipped around to stare at her. "Are you a Count? A grand Duke? Or are you a prince?" She watched him blush slightly.

"Oh! That's it! You're a prince aren't you?" She giggled at his deepening blush.

"What - no! My grandmother gave up her title. We're not royalty. Besides, she married an American, it's that, like grounds for excommunication or something," he stammered before sitting up straighter.

Rey was laughing too hard to breathe right, with tears in her eyes, she didn't see Ben grin before he tackled her, pushing her down and wedging himself between her legs.

She cried out, but it was cut off by his plush lips. Rey lost track of things as he continued to kiss her. A moan rose in her throat just before he pulled his head back.

He was staring deeply into her eyes, his caramel eyes darker, his pupils blown wide.

He brought his hand up to caress her cheek. Rey melted a little more into his embrace.

"Did I hurt you?" He looked concerned.

"Wha- no. Why did you think that?" It took Rey a moment to get her thoughts working again.

"You yelped."

"You startled me. That's all," she reached up and ran her fingers through his hair, brushing it away from his eyes. He was looking at her with a soft smile Rey felt her heart warm even more towards him.

A wolf's howl, long and loud broke them both out of their reverie.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And you thought the last chapter was a teaser...so once again I feel a reminder is in order; I am indeed _evil._   
> MWAHAHA!!!!


	7. Wolf in Sheep's Clothing

Rey gasp, jerking away quickly - panicked, she tried to get up from under him so she could run.

"Rey! Hey - hey, shhh. Shhh. Calm down, it's ok," Ben tried to soothe her, while he helped her sit up. He put his arm around her shoulders, pulling her into his chest.

Rey let Ben hold her while she tried to get her breathing under control. That howl didn’t sound like her monster - it was too high pitched, but it had scared her nonetheless. 

"See, it's alright. Look. Over on the shore - north side. See the two wolves?" His voice was like how one talks to a scared child, soft and gentle.

He pointed across the water, Rey looked up trying to tell herself she wasn't going to see her monster, trying to convince herself it hadn't followed her.

There in the far bank, Rey could see a pale wolf walking to the water's edge, it lowered its head, getting a drink. She couldn't help but stare at the creature's beauty. The wolf was pale cream with light brown markings over it's back and face.

Out of the treeline came a larger dark wolf, the sight of it made Rey's breath caught in her throat, not out of beauty, but from fear.

"See, they are just here for a drink. They'll be on their way soon. They're indifferent when it comes to people, but they don't like fire. It'll keep them away." Ben said quietly as they watched the dark wolf lower its head to drink beside the other one, "I'll keep you safe, Rey. I won't let anything hurt you." He pulled her in closer, wrapping her up in his arms. 

Rey slowly began to relax, letting Ben's nearness and the fact those were just plain old regular wolves sink in. The dark one began nuzzling its nose against the lighter one. The darker of the two seemed like it was trying to push the other further from the sight of the campfire. The pale one was pushing back and soon they were nipping and jumping around one another.

"They're mated," Ben said, breaking the silence that had fallen as they watched the two wolves play.

"How can you tell?" Rey asked, clearly missing some clues Ben could see.

"Watch. See when he nuzzles her neck and ears, he's licking and pushing her, trying to get her to chase him and she's not getting angry. She's playing back, trying to entice him to chase her instead," He said in a hushed voice as he leaned in next to her ear.

Rey had become enraptured watching the two beautiful wolves and their odd dance.

"Why do you think that?" She asked without looking at him, her eyes tracking the movements on the far shore. They did seem like they were backing away from the water.

"Well for starters, if a guy does this," and Ben pushed his face up against Rey's neck, she silently gasped at the sensation.

"And the girl doesn't smack him in the nose or try to get away," he wrapped his left arm around her waist, while the arm around her shoulders moved up so he was cradling the back of her head. He ran his nose along her jaw and back up to her ear, "It's a really good sign she might actually like his attention," he rumbled into her skin while he hands sought out her sides, running up and down her arms. 

Rey felt him nudge her backward, laying them down on the sleeping bag. He rolled them so she was above him, straddling his waist. Rey stretched out, trying to cover as much of his body as she could. She leaned back down, watching Ben as he eyed her lips, but making no further move to pull her towards himself.

"Um, are we safe out here? I mean with just the sleeping bags and no tent?" She ask letting her fingers play with one of the buttons on his flannel shirt. 

Ben nodded, his eyes tracing over her face and down her body before he returned to looking her in the eyes.

"Don't worry, between the fire and myself, you're as safe as you can be here. I'll protect you from everything," he said quietly, looking deeply into her eyes, before his gaze drifted down to her lips.

Rey paused for a moment longer, feeling how solid and warm - almost hot, his body was beneath her, she took pity on him and kissed him.

Above them in the darkening sky, stars that were beginning to wink in and out now that dusk was closing over them.

Her touch was wavering between timed and shy, while he was anything but, holding her head in place as he pushed his tongue into her mouth, before sliding his free hand down her side. Rey tentatively stroked her tongue along his while her hands stayed twined in his lush hair. 

Ben’s hands had no such reservation, his hands were everywhere, holding along her ribs, gently rubbing and squeezing her breasts before sliding down to grip her thigh and tugging her closer to him. When she hesitantly ground her hips down onto him, Ben groaned pulling his lips from hers and she watched his eyes roll back into his head. 

Rey liked that reaction and pushed her hips down on him a little harder, wanting to see him do that again. 

This time, his eyes opened and locked onto her. He looked like a man drowning, the caramel of his eyes was nearly eclipsed by  how wide his pupils were. She felt his arms tense before he rolled them again.

That put him on top of her with his weight pressing down. Rey opened her mouth to comment, but he took that moment to bring their lips together and grind his hips. Rey gasp as he erection rubbed into her just right. 

Ben thrust his hips a few more times before he eased off his kiss, shifting his weight onto one elbow, sliding his free hand down her chest, lightly squeezing before trailing his fingers down to pop open the button on her jeans. 

His eyes stayed on her while his fingers ghosted under the edge of her jeans. He was watching her face and he hadn't moved his fingers past the fabric. There was a question in his eyes.

Rey bit her bottom lip and nodded. Watching his serious expression as he slid his hand down to cup her mound. 

Rey sucked in a startled breath at just how much his hand covered her. The heat of his palm was surprising, but the groan that left him surprised her more. 

He twitched his fingers, gently pressing them into her folds and Rey could feel just how wet she was, as his fingers slid over her. 

Ben's eyes were closed like he was trying to memorize her body, but then one of his fingers pushed up, curling just enough to enter her. Rey moaned and widened her legs, trying to give him more room.

He pushed one finger into her, then he added another, the two stretching her more than she'd experienced before. 

"God - Rey! You're so wet...I want - do you...can we?" He looked up at her while he continued to pump his fingers in and out of her, curling them up while his thumb rubbed her clitoris in soft little circles. 

Rey frantically nodded, reaching down to unzip her jeans and he gently removed his hand. She kicked her boots off and Ben helped her get her pants off, pulling her socks off as well. Rey laid there in her t-shirt and panties, watching him shed his button down flannel and tug his undershirt over his head. The fire light cast shadows over his muscles, making them appear more defined. He pushed his jeans down over his hips before, leaning down on all fours over her, to kick them off completely.

Rey leaned up, trying to capture his lips again while he was above her, but Ben was reaching over past her before he leaned down to kiss her. She saw he had a square foil wrapper in his hand. 

"Thought ahead did you?" She asked playfully. 

He smiled and even in the fire light Rey could see he was blushing. "I...ah, well. I really wanted this to happen, so I, um," 

"Good. Me too," Rey sat up and pulled her shirt off, watching as he just stared at her naked chest in the light of their campfire. He swallowed hard before he smiled back at her, cupping her hips to slowly pull her panties down her legs. 

Rey reached out and dipped her fingers under the edge of his boxer briefs, giving them a slight tug,"Off," was all she said before she leaned back down on her elbows. 

Ben didn't wait to be told a second time. He had his underwear off in a flash and was rolling the condom down his length before Rey had a chance to really see it, but by the away his hand looked wrapped around it, she could say his penis was easily propionate to his body. 

He returned to covering her, leaning in to kiss her tentatively. Rey melted into his touch, kissing him back and soaking up the feeling of his skin touching hers. 

Ben moved his hand between her legs, gently easing two fingers back into her. Rey moaned and clung to his shoulders as he started pumping them faster. A third joined and he started grinding the heel of him palm over her clit. It was amazing, better than anything she'd ever done to herself. 

He was kissing and sucking along her neck, using his lips and teeth to nibble and nip as he increased the pressure of his hand. He was thrusting faster, using his whole arm, rocking his hips in time with his arm. The pressure and feeling of him pushing up into her was starting to tip her over the edge. 

Rey was twitching and panting and her legs were shaking beyond her control. Ben curled his fingers just right and she threw her head back with a high pitched cry, before her body tried to fold in on itself. She contorted while being pinned under most of Ben's bulk.

He didn't let up but kept tapping that spot that made her body contract and twitch. He was holding her tightly when the last of the aftershocks finally subsided, and he gently pulled his hand away. 

Rey’s eyes were fluttering and she was blinding holding onto him when he slid his hips between her legs. She felt him gently push the tip of himself into her skin before he leaned down and kissed her again. Ben continued to kiss her, peppering her lips with soft little kisses that stopped just as she opened her eyes to look at him.

Ben placed one hand next to her waist and the other lightly held her hip. His eyes were so dark, the flickering firelight reflected in them. He was watching her face as he slid the rest of his body into her. 

Rey tried not to clench up, tried to let herself relax and just enjoy the strange new sensation, but he was too big. She had never felt anything like this, stretched to the point of pain. All she could do was stare up at his wide eyes as he slightly shook above her. Ben leaned back down still sheathed in her; he brought his lips back to hers, kissing her while gently rocking his body into her. 

Rey widened her legs when she felt his hip bones grind into hers. She shifted up a touch and felt him push in deeper. There was a sharp pinch before he sank fully into her. He groaned before he pulled back a little. His thrust forward, Rey moaned at the feeling of him sliding along every little spot, the slickness soothing that dull ache inside. 

He really was _inside her_. Rey's mind kept repeating it, over and over with each of his steady growing thrusts.

Ben was inside her.

She opened her eyes to watch him. It thrilled her to see him lost in the pleasure of her body. His mouth was open and his eyes were shut. 

Rey reached up to brush his hair back from here it was starting to stick to his face. He turned his face into her hand, kissing along her wrist, before he opened his eyes. Rey gasp at just how dark they had become. 

He paused, leaning down over her closer, kissing her deeply before he thrusting hard. Rey broke off in a loud moan, crying out as he did it again. Ben, stayed down on his forearms, keeping their chests pressed together while he let his hips rise and fall with deepening heavy thrusts.

Each jolt had him pushing deeper, pushing a breathy cry from her. Rey griped his forearms tightly, her nails digging in, trying to anchor herself before he shifted to a rolling motion. 

Her eyes fluttered back in her head at how good it felt compared to the hard impacts, this rhythmic in and out. She was moaning in time with his movements. Ben was starting to glisten with sweat, his muscles strained under her fingers. He was increasing his speed, pulling out of her faster with each thrust, sliding in quicker and quicker.

Rey felt herself tighten up, her body clamping down on his and she realized nothing was under her control anymore. Her hips rocked in time with his, her abdomen clenched up tight as the first wave pulsed through her. Tighter and tighter he pushed her as her orgasm drew out longer and longer, continuing until it was nearing unbearable for her. The intensity made her curl up into his chest, her nails raking down his skin.

He came with an abrupt shout, his own body curling up and shaking under her hands. Ben collapsed down on her, panting and twitching, his head hanging over her shoulder. Rey reached up, running her fingers through his hair, feeling her heartbeat wildly in her chest as her breathing slowed. 

They both laid there, content in the afterglow. Ben kissed over her shoulder before he finally moved to pull his body from hers. Rey groaned and tried not to twitch, but now where it had ft foreign to have him inside, now it felt strange to suddenly be so empty. 

She felt his shifting around before he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into his chest. Rey was happy and warm, feeling her eyes began to droop some. She yawned before snuggling into him more. She felt him tug the sleeping bag up over them.

The last thing she was aware of was Ben gently brushing her hair back from her face as he kissed her forehead with a soft goodnight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ~early post~
> 
> So there, there is your yummy steamy lemony goodness for you.
> 
> I had an exhausting opening weekend at the Renaissance Festival and still found a little time to finish this chapter up. 
> 
> I hope you enjoyed it!!😎


	8. I Howl When We're Apart

Rey awoke alone and cold. 

Everything was covered in a thin gray fog heavy with condensation. The lake was still and no breeze stirred the trees. The fire was nothing but cold ashes. 

She sat up slowly trying to understand what had happened. Nothing looked like it was missing, except Ben. 

"Ben?" She called, softly at first, then louder. Loud enough for his name to echo off the crater's walls.

The mist rolled over the water's surface and the world looked like someone had drained all the color from it. Rey felt like the cold gray morning matched her mood. Why had he left her, she wondered as she started pulling on her clothes, what made him leave? Maybe he hadn’t left her by choice - what if the skin-walker took him? Maz did say that thing thought of her as his mate. 

Had she and Ben’s intimacy put him in danger? 

Rey had no idea if the skin-walker was the jealous type, but her gut told her that was more than likely. Rey tied her boots and started looking around, trying to see if there were signs of a struggle. Ben was a big guy, he would have put up a fight, Rey reasoned, but by that logic, she would have also heard it. She was a very light sleeper. 

Maybe the monster jumped Ben when he’d gotten up to relieve himself during the night? Rey started back down the path, looking at the ground and leaves, trying to see if there were any tracks she could locate. 

The world around her slowly turned into a blur of fog and branches the longer she walked down the path. Gray coated everything, making the colors dull and muted. 

A howl, low and mournful broke the silence around her. The dense trees did nothing to help her pinpoint the direction of the howl, but Rey didn't need her eyes to tell her it was her monster. 

The Skin-Walker had found her!

She broke into a full sprint, thinking she might be able to find a place to hide further down the trail. Rey ran blindly into the trees, frantic thoughts of finding Ben and hiding in his lodge rapidly dissolved into panic as she heard the monster behind her. 

It must have heard her running and given chase. Now it was mere yards behind her. Rey dared to look over her shoulder to see how close it was.

She screamed as she tripped and the ground was no longer under her feet. She fell down into a leaf-filled ravine. The tumble down the embankment disoriented her, and as she rolled over she looked up to see _him._ It was obviously male, blatantly so, with his genitals hanging heavy between his hind legs.

Pitch black fur covered most of his body with thinner patches around his chest, stomach, and inner thighs. An elongated snout filled with large shape teeth, pointed to the sky as he howled in triumph, standing erect on his hind legs with his head thrown back.

Rey stared, mesmerized by the wolf song, something about it was beautiful and sad, full of joy and rage. 

When he dropped back down on all four legs, Rey realized her mistake. She should have gotten up and kept running. He lunged, leaping off the embankment.

Rey rolled back on to her stomach, scrambling to get on her feet when he landed above her. The impact sent leaves swirling and Rey shrieked at the feel of him pressing down on her. 

Those giant clawed hands wrapped around her middle, holding her from ribs to hips. He yanked her body backward, slamming her ass against his pelvis. He ground down with his hips, jolting her forward. 

Rey let out another shriek, thrashing her arms, trying to get some leverage to break out of his hold. She could feel how firm he was growing, rubbing over her ass, her frantic kicks and clawing doing nothing to help her. The skin-walker was too strong, his hands held her tightly, squeezing the air out of her. She felt her strength leave her in a desperate attempt to just draw in enough air to breath.  

There was a warmth, heavy, soft and wet at the back of her neck. She barely registered it to be his tongue, sliding it down and under her chin. Rey froze when she felt his cold wet nose, sniffing along her jaw. He nuzzled her, a sick imitation of what Ben had done the night before. Rey sobbed as she realized she wasn’t struggling anymore. She couldn’t - he had her held in a clawed vice and was pressing down on top of her. 

A low soft growl rumbled through her back before he pulled his head away from hers and his hands let up on the pressure that held her in place. 

Rey was about to breathe in a sigh, when a piercing pain ripped along her shoulder as the monster clamped his jaws shut, trapping the junction of her neck and shoulder between them. 

A choking scream left her as she thrashed under his weight. 

“Rey!”

Rey jerked her eyes open, feeling nothing more than a phantom sensation. She lay there panting, while Ben held her. His eyes were uneasy or scared, as he looked down at her. 

“Ssh, it’s alright. Just a nightmare. You’re safe,” he hushed and soothed her, brushing sweat-plastered hair out of her face. 

Rey looked around, seeing their campsite, the firepit still cracking with a low lazy flame. The sun hadn’t risen yet, but there was enough light in the predawn hours for her to see they were still in their sleeping bag and nothing had changed with the campsite during the night. 

She looked back up at Ben, his handsome face, hovering over hers while he gently held her. She twisted in his arms, pressing her face to his chest. Just letting him hold her while her body stopped shaking from the dream that was already fading from her mind. 

Ben continued to pet and soothe her, murmuring reassuring words that she was safe and it was only a dream, that he would keep her safe. He promised over and over again, he'd keep her safe, that he wouldn't let anyone hurt her.

Ben’s body was fever-warm and the inside of the sleeping bag felt like an oven. Compared to the cool air around them, the contrast helped relax her and soon Rey felt herself drift back to sleep, held tight, warm and safe. 

 

***

 

A few hours later, Rey awoke to the sun peaking over the rim of the crater, reflecting cheerfully off the lake’s surface. The sky was a soft pale blue and the clouds were just losing their rosy hues. 

She was still wrapped up in the sleeping bag, listening to the bird's chirp and sing in the trees around her. She rolled flat onto her back stretching out her body. 

"G'morning sunshine!" 

Rey looked over to see Ben walking up to the fire pit with a few more logs, clad in just his jeans and boots, laces still half tied. While he added more wood to the crackling blaze, Rey couldn't help it, she stared at his naked torso. 

The man was built like a mountain.

When she realized he was watching her stare at him and Rey ducked her head, looking around trying to find her clothes, anything to distract from the fact he'd caught her ogling him.

She grabbed the closest thing to her - his flannel shirt. Some part of her really liked the idea of wearing his shirt, so she slipped it on and stood up, buttoning a few of the buttons to hold it in place. The shirt fell to just above mid-thigh, hiding her ass from view. When she reached for her boots, there was a foreign soreness, a dull ache she was not familiar with between her legs. Rey masked her wince as she slipped her boots on, not bothering with the laces, just tucking them in so she wouldn't step on them. She pointedly ignored Ben, grabbing a few paper towels and heading off into the treeline.

Rey managed to empty her bladder without losing her balance, there was however a mild stinging sensation, and when she looked down at her inner thighs she could see there was dried blood there on her skin. She rubbed at it as best she could but nothing short of a shower was going to remove it. 

As Rey walked back to camp she bypassed getting dressed and walked to the edge of the lake, debating if she could get away with a quick dip before Ben noticed her legs. 

Just as she was about to put a toe in to test the temperature, Ben wrapped his arms around her middle, nuzzling his face into her hair.

"I've got bacon, sausages, toast, and coffee for breakfast, but I'd rather eat you instead," he mumbled hugging her to him. 

Rey felt her face heat up, she tried to stammer something out, but words failed her.

"Oh, is that a yes?" Ben asked turning her around to look at him.

Rey couldn't hide her blush from his searching eyes. "Well - I don't know. I've never had that," she stopped talking when she saw his eyes light up.

Ben's grin made her stomach jerk just behind her navel. The light in his eyes was positively wicked as he started to gently lead her back to the pile of sleeping bags. 

Rey let him maneuver her, obeying his hands when he helped her lay back down. When she reached to start undoing the few buttons, he gently pushed her hands aside, popping them open one at a time. 

Rey's skin felt extra sensitive and she jumped slightly at the feel of his hands sliding up her calves after he tugged her boots off. He gently spread her thighs open and Rey waited to hear him say something about the blood staining her, she squeezed her eyes shut, trying to prepare herself for his reaction. 

She startled when all she heard was a low groan before Ben learned down dragging his tongue up the inside of her thigh. 

"Sore?"

"Huh?" Rey barely understood what he'd asked.

"Are you sore? From last night?" he asked quietly. 

"Ah, a little, yeah,"

"Don't worry, I'll make it feel better. Promise," he murmured before kissing her other thigh.

Rey looked down to see his dark head inching closer, her body spread out in front of him. Ben looked up through that curtain of black hair, his eyes locking on hers before he lowered his mouth to her. 

The first pass of his hot tongue felt incredible. So very different from the feeling of his fingers on her or the sensations of his body inside hers. This was soft and firm at the same time, hot and wet. Ben licked her again and Rey didn't stop the gasp that flew out of her mouth. 

Over and over again he licked her. Rey felt each prob, each wiggle, each press of his lips intensely as she writhed under him. Ben kept his movements soft and gentle, never rushing or pushing. 

He kissed the soreness away, gently sucking her into his mouth. Rey was gripping the sleeping bag in her hands, twisting hard to keep herself from bucking up into his face. Her breath caught in her throat as she tried not to cry out. 

Ben was gripping her hips, low groans were vibrating her skin trapped in between his lips. He was hunched over her, licking rapidly now, pushing his tongue in and out of her. Swirling around her entrance, plunging into her only to suck her clitoris into his mouth. 

It felt like he couldn't decide what to focus on. Eating her out or sucking on her. Both felt amazing and Rey couldn't decide which she liked best either. 

The moment Ben ran his tongue over her swollen clit, sucked tightly between his lips, Rey shouted and grabbed his head. She pushed him closer to her, holding him in place. She felt him chuckle before he repeated the action with more attention. Rey threw her head back, thrusting her hips up, trying to keep that perfect feeling. 

Ben didn't stop after that.

Rey lost all sense of place and time, her entire world narrowed down to the feeling of his mouth on her. Tears were leaking down her face and her stomach muscles burned from the near-constant crunch she was in, but Ben's mouth was all she cared about. 

He built her up, winding her tighter and tighter with each growl from him and each pass of his tongue. Soon Rey was curled around his head, babbling incoherently. When her orgasm finally broke over her, she wailed, body convulsing as her vision whited out. 

Ben growled loudly when he moved his head away from her red swollen skin. He pushed her flat on her back while he groaned in her ear, his body sliding over hers. Rey's nailed dug into his arms as he rubbed his member along her, the tip catching in her opening and with another growl, Ben pushed into her. 

Rey's mouth hung open in a silent cry. Her body was slick but still swollen and tender. Ben was hard, yet he felt soft and smooth. He hilted himself with one long steady push, stopping when his hips met hers. 

Rey gulped air, trying to relearn how to breathe. She felt beyond full with her legs spread wide around Ben's hips. He had his face buried in her neck, panting and trailing wet kisses down the side of her neck to her shoulder.  

He pulled back and thrust forward, pushing a pained moan out of her. He did it again, huffing along her skin. Rey felt him lick a long strip before he thrust again, starting a rhythm that had her clawing at him. 

Groans that were nearly growls, fell nonstop from Ben. Rey felt each steady push of his rip through her tightly swollen body. He seems driven, feral in how he was sounding and moving. Gone was the gentle Ben from the night before, now Ben seemed intent on pounding her into the ground. His thrusts were quick and heavy, each one trying to be deeper than the previous one. 

He was biting along her shoulder while groans were rising out of him, grunts of exhaustion that rumbled her chest. She felt him take hold of her hips, pulling them up and he bit down harder as the angle changed. When he thrust again, Rey’s spine bowed at the sudden tipping of the orgasm that he’d triggered in her. 

She shouted his name as she clamped her ankles around his back, urging him to move harder and deeper. 

Ben sobbed the loudest yet, his teeth embedded in her skin as he ground them both into the sleeping bag. 

As they lay there, panting and sweating, Rey felt him shift a little, cradling her in his arms before he slumped onto her. She could feel his heart racing and his labored breath. It matched her own. Ben shifted down, resting his head over her heart and Rey brushed the sweat-soaked hair out of his face. He turned his head and she looked down into his blissed-out chocolate and caramel eyes. She smiled at him, giggling a little until she felt his body slip out of hers and the rush of wetness that followed. 

Rey realized Ben hadn’t worn a condom.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hmmm, well, well. Naughty Ben, very very naughty of you. This is why I have the non/con on this story. That was not discussed nor was it the sex she had agreed to. It's never cool to think that just because you're having fun that not sticking to what was agreed on is good with everyone involved. Next chapter will deal with the ramifications and fall out of not talking about unprotected sex beforehand.


	9. The Beast You've Made Of Me

"How could you?!”

“Rey - I’m sorry! I - I lost my head in the moment. I wasn’t thinking!”

“No shit, you weren’t thinking!”

Rey sat in the passenger’s set of Ben’s Wrangler, pissed and hurt. She couldn’t believe she’d trusted him. Trusted him, believed him when he’d said he’d keep her safe and then broke that trust all to hell. 

They were on their way to his uncle’s clinic. It was two counties over from the Mustafar lodge. Rey hadn’t wanted to accept the offer when Ben blurted it out, after their awful hike back down from the lake that morning, but what choice did she have? She couldn’t risk getting pregnant, not while she was still on the run from Plutt, not to mention not even twenty yet. 

She sat there, staring out the window, watching the trees blur passed. Ben was still apologizing and saying he’d fix it. He’d do anything she wanted and that he was truly sorry. That he hadn’t meant for things to go that far, he’d just got caught up in the moment. 

While Rey was still angry at him, she didn’t feel bad, at least her body didn’t. In fact she felt great. Even the angry red hickey he’d left on her neck didn’t hurt. If she was honest with herself, she really had enjoyed the sex this morning, that wasn’t the point, and Ben knew that. 

So she was angry, but under that she was scared. She didn’t want to be vulnerable around Ben right now. She was angry at him and at herself. Ben had called ahead, making sure Luke would be there and the clinic would have everything they would need for an exam and the emergency contraceptive pills. She was scared of the exam, of the pills, of the possibility she could be pregnant, all of it. 

She hunched down in the seat, closing her eyes to try and keep the tears back. She felt Ben reach over and take her hand in his. His hand was shaking and when she looked over at him, he had tears on his cheeks too. 

Rey let him hold her hand for the rest of the trip. 

 

***

 

The inside of the clinic was a pale blue, making her feel like they’d stepped inside of an ice cube. The AC was ridiculously high, which didn’t help either. They had been ushered into an exam room by a smiling nurse named Rose and waited a few minutes before an older man with silver glasses, a trimmed graying beard and a white coat walked in. 

Rey guessed it was Ben’s uncle Luke from the way Ben’s shoulders relaxed a little bit. 

“Ben. You must be Rey. I’m Luke,” the doctor held out his hand and Rey shook it, looking into his clear blue eyes, so unlike his nephew’s in color, but the same intelligence shone through. 

“Alright young people, I understand an accident happened and you want to make sure that’s all that happens,” he looked up at Rey and then back down at the chart in his hands,“We can do that," he said matter of factly and Rey felt a wave of relief crash over her. 

“Rey, I’m going to have Rose come in and take your vitals and I’m going to have a word with my nephew and then we will discuss what you want to do after that, alright?” Luke smiled down at her and then looked over the rim of his glasses down at Ben, who turned a few shades of red darker but stood to follow his uncle out of the room. 

While Luke hadn’t said anything, Rey still thought Ben looked like a puppy that was caught doing something bad. 

The nurse, Rose, came in as Luke and Ben walked out. She was cheerful, with a smiling round face and beautiful shiny black hair, pulled back in a ponytail. “Hi again!,” she said as she started pulling out the blood pressure cuff. Rose directed Rey to sit on the end of the exam bed. She chatted while she worked, explaining what she was doing while she was doing it. 

After listening to Rey’s heart and breathing, jotting down her blood pressure and checking her eyes, ears, nose, and throat, she asked Rey when the first day of her last period was. Rey struggled to remember, “I’ve never been regular or anything. It just comes and goes now and then. Never like once a month,” Rey tried to not sound ashamed, but she knew that wasn’t how things were supposed to be. 

“Oh, there is nothing wrong with that. Not everyone is clock-work. Though that does make this a little trickier. See, the pills we are going to give you are going to trigger your period, to prevent any fertilized eggs from implanting. But you aren’t pregnant right now. In fact, it can take up six days before an egg gets fertilized and up to ten before it can implate, but it’s best to take precautions now, especially if you are not ready to start a family,” Rose smiled again and patted Rey’s hand.

Rey looked at Rose and tried to return that smile, but Rose was staring at Rey's neck.

"Can I look at that?" Rose gestured to the hickey on her neck. 

"Oh, sure. Ben got carried away this morning. We, uh, I guess we started dating and he took me camping and this morning...well, this morning is why we're here," Rey knew she was babbling, but the words tumbled out. They didn't sound right at all, but Rey knew Ben hadn't meant to hurt her. 

"That's one heck of a love bite! Does it hurt?" Rey turned her head and let Rose clean the area off. Rey had showered after they'd made it down to the lodge, but she hadn't really been focused then.

"No. In fact, I feel really good, great even," Rey said then realized how that sounded when Rose gave her a knowing smile. 

"Alright, I'll just put some antibiotic ointment on it; mouths are so full of germs, you can't be too careful," she said as she cleaned and bandaged the area. 

"Now, Rey. You're safe here. We won't let anything happen to you. So please be honest with me, do you feel like you were forced to have sex? Did that guy pressure you or lie to you?" Rose asked quietly, looking at the door and then back to Rey, "I can call the police. I'm friends with one of the captains. They can help you if you need it. Captain Dameron can get you into protective custody,"

"Wha - no! Ben didn't - no, that's not what happened!" Rey blinked and shook her head. "Rose, thank you, really, but Ben made a mistake. That's all. I wanted to be with him. Yeah I'm pissed he fucked up, and we're going to have a long conversation about it never happening again, but no, he didn't force me into anything," Rey hoped she'd made her point, but Rose opened her mouth just as there was a knock on the door. 

Luke walked in smiling at her with Ben following, looking more and more like a kicked puppy. Rey didn't like seeing him this beat down. She held out her hand to him. He gave her a weak smile and gripped her hand in his. 

Luke was looking over the chart Rose handed him before she looked up at Rey and pulled up a rolling stool to sit on. 

"From my understanding, you two were...intimate, last night with protection and again this morning without. I've already given my personal opinion to Ben in that regard, so we'll go over the very basics of this prescription I'm going to give you. And this is only on the terms that afterward you two come back here for full medical check-ups in two weeks and we get you set up with a daily birth control pill to make sure this doesn't happen again," Rey was glad she was holding Ben's hand just then. She couldn't remember if she'd ever had a medical check-up. Her heart rate kicked up a notch in fear.

"So this pill I'm going to give you today. It comes in two parts. You take one now and you take the other in 12 hours. Now, this isn't going to be fun. It's going to force your body into having a period, you're going to get some cramps, possibly nausea and you're going to want to take it easy for a few days. So no more hiking," Luke smiled even with his stern tone. "And I'd refrain from any sexual activity until we get you on a contraception pill, but using condoms would be better than nothing," At that Luke pointedly looked at Ben. 

"And since it was this morning, I'm going to forgo the pelvic exam today. That would just be too much and I feel would likely give us an irregular pap result anyway," Rey squeezed Ben's had, she didn't know what a pelvic exam was, but she didn't think she wanted to do one today either. 

Luke stood up, taking his glasses off and sticking them in his coat pocket. "I'll go get your medicine and you two can get back to your weekend," he smiled again at Rey and patted Ben on the shoulder before he left the room. 

Rey looked down at her hand still wrapped up in Ben's. He was looking at the floor. She squeezed his hand, making him look up at her. Rey gave him a self-conscious grin, that he returned until his eyes saw the bandage on her neck. 

"I'm sorry. I really lost it didn't I. Practically mauled you like an animal. I'm - I'm so sorry," his voice cracked and she watched him swallow. Rey waited for him to continue, but it seemed like he was done talking. 

Rey was saved from saying anything as Luke knocked. He walked in with a cup of water in one hand and two small foil packets in the other. 

"Here," he handed her the water and one of the packets, "This one now. This one 12 hours from now."

Rey shoved her internal debate aside. She knew she wasn't pregnant. Rose said as much. This was just a precaution to make sure she wouldn't get pregnant. Rey put the pill in her mouth and drank down the cup of water. 

She put the other packet in her pocket as she got down from the exam seat. 

"Rey, it was a pleasure meeting you. We'll see you again soon," Luke shook her hand, before turning to Ben, "Always good to see you, kid. Think about what I said and call if you need anything. Tell your folks I'll be there for the three day weekend next month," Luke hugged his larger nephew, thumping him roughly on the back before he walked out leaving the door open. 

Ben looked embarrassed and relieved at the same time. It was such a contradiction that Rey giggled a little at his discomfort. It helped to take her mind off her own unease. 

Just as they were heading for the front door, Rose called Rey over to the sliding glass window. "Rey, I've got a few things I need you to sign for your next appointment,"

"I'll go get the jeep," Ben said more than happy to get out of the waiting room. 

As soon as Ben was out of the room, Rose dropped her smile.

"Rey, I know what you said, but I found the missing child poster of you, I know that your only seventeen, but we can help! You don't have to stay with him. Did he kidnap you?" Rose said in a rush, before grabbing Rey's hand.

"What? What poster? No! No - Ben didn't kidnap me! I ra-" Rey stopped herself from saying the rest. "Look, Rose. Please listen to me. I'm not that girl. Ben didn't hurt me or force me or anything like that. I live two counties over. I'm nineteen, I'm not that girl," Rey saw Rose look past her before she plastered on a fake smile handing Rey some papers.  

"Reminder for your pills, your follow up exam in two weeks and an explanation on the medication. Please call if you have any questions. It was nice meeting you. Have a good day," and with a smile, Rose closed the sliding window. 

Rey was stunned. She turned, papers in hand to see Ben standing in the doorway. He had a blank look on his face and Rey had no idea how much he'd heard. 

For the ride back, the jeep was filled with a strained silence. Rey thought she could hear things swirling around in the air, just waiting for one of them to speak. 

As they pulled up to Mustafar lodge, Ben turned off the engine but he didn't move to get out of the wrangler. 

"Rey, I - I heard what the nurse said, about the missing poster. Your foster Dad must have put that out there. I would really like it, I mean, would you consider staying here with me?" 

Rey frowned and looked over at Ben. She didn't say anything, trying to give the idea a fair assessment, but she was just still too mad at him. 

"I want to stay at the cabin, Ben. Nobody knows where that is. Nobody knows I'm staying there. Maz hasn't told anyone. You haven't told anyone. I'm safe there," and there is a giant werewolf in the woods that really likes me, she thought, knowing that would be the best deterrent she could possibly ever find to keep Plutt away.

"I still feel awful about this. I mean, I'm the one that took you there, if I hadn't been such an idiot, we wouldn't have needed to go and that nurse wouldn't have gotten nosy," he sounded annoyed and that just pissed her off more.

" _Nosy?_ Is that what you think she was being? Nosy for doing her _job? For caring about someone?_ For fuck's sake! I defended you against her! She wanted to know if you forced me! She asked if you _kidnapped me!_ No, Ben she wasn't being nosy, she was being a decent person!" Rey was starting to breathe hard and her voice was rising with each word.

"Whoa, whoa calm down. I get it! She works for my uncle at a free clinic. Of course, she's a decent person. But there was no need for her to jump to conclusions about us. If I had kidnapped you, why would I bother to take you to a clinic run by my uncle of all people?" Ben had held his hands up in surrender as he made his point. 

Rey, mentally took a step back. At the clinic, she had been taken aback by Rose's assumptions about Ben, but now she found she was just as annoyed with Ben's opinion of Rose. She sucked in a deep breath and sighed heavily through her nose. She was past the point of patience, right now all she wanted was to be alone. 

"Look, I'm going to go get my stuff and then you can drop me off at the cabin," Rey opened her door and got out before Ben could say anything. She left him in the jeep while she retrieved her backpack, still sitting inside the garage. 

As she climbed back in the jeep, Ben was quiet. He still looked forlorn but he started the engine and backed out of the driveway. 

Rey tried to feel relief, but her stomach was already tied in knots and she didn't know if it was from the pill or from her own fears. Maybe both, she thought as the green trees blurred passed the window. 

 

***

 

As the wrangler slowed, coming up to the end of the dirt trace that lead up to her cabin, Ben let out a deep breath from his nose. Rey saw he was gripping the steering wheel so tightly his knuckles blanched. 

"I really don't want to leave you alone Rey. I want to take care of you. Please, please let me take care of you," he said softly, turning to look at her. 

"Ben, I need a few days to get my head straight, alright. I'm still pretty mad about all this and I want to be alone to think about things," Rey kept her voice low and steady, trying to hold back all of her emotions. She knew she was going to cry if he asked her again, but she wasn't going to back down either. 

"Fine. I'll come by in two days to check on you, but I do have one question," Ben didn't sound happy about it, but at least he was backing off.

"Ok, what is it?"

"How old are you? Are you really seventeen like the poster said?"

"WHAT? HOW _-UGHHH_!" Rey lost her grip on her temper, feeling it slip the shaky leash she had on it. 

She bolted out of the passenger seat, slamming the door closed as she stared marching up the leaf-covered trail. 

"Rey!" She heard him call before she heard his door open, "Rey - wait!" Ben yelled as he ran to catch her, darting in front of her, but he didn't touch her.

"No! No - what the fuck does it matter _now?_ It didn't matter last night. It didn't fucking matter this morning! So why the _fuck does it matter to you now?!"_ She yelled at him and it felt good to let some of her anger out. 

"Rey! Please, just hear me out -"

"You know what? No. If you think I'm different because some fucking piece of shit mob wanna-be made a poster that says I'm seventeen, then fuck you! Now get out of my way," she tried to move past his hulking frame, but he caught her by the shoulders.

"Listen to me. I don't fucking care if you're seventeen, eighteen, nineteen or twentysomething. I care about you!" Ben said looking down into her eyes. Rey couldn't help but notice how he was really restraining himself as he clamped his jaw shut and chewed on whatever was in his head that he wasn't saying. 

He hung his head and took a steadying breath. "Rey, you're incredibly special to me. I want what is between us. I want it so much, but I also need to know where you stand. You are not defined by your age, but that does give me some idea of where you are at in terms of experience. I don't want to rush you, but I don't want to let go, either." His face was so sincere as he looked down at her, softening his grip on her. 

Rey stood there, staring at him as tears welled in her eyes. She blinked, feeling them trail down her cheeks. 

"Nineteen. I think I'm nineteen," she felt the mix of shame and self-pity for not knowing exactly, but she could at least give him the truth. 

"You think?" Ben looked stunned, before he pulled her into a hug, wrapping her up in his arms. 

Rey pressed her mouth to his collarbone, mumbling about how she didn't know her birthday and she could only vaguely remember what month it had been in. 

She held onto him while she sobbed herself out. Ben was solid and warm and gently rocking her, muttering soothing things, like how wonderful she was, how special, how much he cared for her. Rey thought would it be so bad? Staying with him, letting take care of her? But her self preservation and her need to keep _Ben safe_ kicked in. Maybe she could tell him? He knew Maz and surely he’d believe her if he didn’t believe Rey. 

First she needed to get back to the cabin and at the very least get it ready to be closed up again. The fireplace needed cleaning, the stove, the bathroom. She needed to change the sheets and wash all the dishes and check on the chickens before she could pack up and head to the lodge and stay with Ben, all that and she really did feel like a few days to herself was warranted. 

“Ok Ben, I’ll make a deal with you, I’ll come to stay with you at the lodge, but I still want a few days to be alone and process things. You and me and what I want.” she smiled when she saw his eyebrows furrow, but he stayed silent, listening to her. 

“I’m not going to be in any mood to be around people, I never am when I have a period, and I want to get the cabin closed down and the chickens ready and let Maz know before I leave for however long,” 

“But you’ll come to stay with me after that?” his melancholy hopefulness nearly broke her then, but she stuck to her resolve. 

“I’ll think about it, but right now, I really just need some time to myself,” she watched him chew on some more thoughts, working his jaw before he swallowed and nodded. 

Rey leaned up on her toes and kissed him before untangling herself for him. 

“I’ll see you in a few days, Ben,”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh Rey, you have zero chill...but it isn't unjustified. Ben, you unmitigated ass. 
> 
> And all that medical info is real and honest to the gods true. I'm not a doctor or a nurse, but I can read information from reliable and professional health sites. The morning after pill I looked up and used is based off of the first type of pill combo and was available in the early nineties, which is when this story takes place.


	10. I Hunt for You with Bloodied Feet

Rey stood in the center of the living room debating on what she could do next. She had already cleaned the kitchen yesterday, scrubbing out the sink, the fridge, washing every dish and Tupperware container in the cabin she could find, before she mopped the floor this morning. Now that is was drying, she’d moved into the front room. The fireplace still needed the ash mucked out, but she thought that might be better to do after the curtains were down and after she’d draped a sheet over the couch.

Rey knew she was going overboard with her cleaning, but she didn’t want to think about anything and she could clean on autopilot. What she had thought she wanted, she’d changed her mind. Now she just wanted to move and _do_ and not think, as the cramps worsen and her lower back began to ache, Rey definitely didn’t want to think about anything.

She put everything out of her head and just focused on the task at hand. With each item cleaned and each room sorted and stored, Rey slowly began to feel a small measure of control.

It was early in the evening when Rey finally allowed herself to stop moving. She indulged in a long shower, letting the water relax her tense shoulders and her painful abdomen. She washed away the ash from the burn pit and watched as the soot mixed with the blood that had finally come. She watched it all swirl together, dark gray and bright red before it flowed down the drain. Even with the dreadful cramps and backaches, it was a mild relief knowing that she wasn’t going to get pregnant and she would seeing Ben tomorrow, but now all she wanted to do was sleep.

Rey gratefully collapsed after she’d dried off and dressed for bed. She was asleep before her head hit the pillow. 

 

***

 

A loud chicken squawk woke Rey from a deep sleep. She groaned and rolled over trying to find a comfortable position, but now that she was awake, she noticed just how hot it was in the room. She had shut the window since the breeze had been chilly. Now the room felt stuffy and stale.

Rey groaned again as she sat up, placing her feet on the floor and she noticed the floorboards seemed warmer than normal. She finally paused and really looked around the room. There was a haziness to the air and Rey inhaled, smelling smoke and charred wood varnish.

She quickly ran to the door but stopped short of grabbing the doorknob when she saw the orange glow from under the door.

_Fire!_

_The cabin was on fire!_ Rey frantically grabbed a shirt off the stand pulled over her head. What was she going to do? She was too far from town to get help and no way to call anyone since the cabin didn't have a phone line. Rey reached for the door again, thinking she might be able to grab the old fire extinguisher that was in the stairwell to the cellar, off to the side in the kitchen.

Rey prayed the fire was small and that she'd be able to put it out. She had no idea how old that extinguisher was or even if it worked, but it was her best shot.

She yanked the door open, letting go of the uncomfortably hot brass knob and she stood, stunned watching as red and yellow flames climbed up the walls of the cabin. The heat hit her entire body as the fire was working itself over the bookcase and black smoke rolled up and flowed across the ceiling.

Tears welled in her eyes and her hand flew to her mouth, there was nothing she could do but get out as fast as she could. Rey slammed the door shut and ran to the window. She jerked it open and quickly heaved herself through it.

Rey was frantic as she scrambled back to her feet. She stumbled back away, tears running down her face as she watched the roof start to catch.

A heavy hand grabbed her shoulder and spun her around.

Rey didn't even have time to scream, she was too startled to be starting up at Unkar Plutt.

"Found you, my girl. Betcha thought I wouldn't be able to, with you way out here in the middle of nowhere," he leered down at her as she tried to back away from him.

Another set of hands grabbed her and pulled her flush against his chest. Rey looked over her shoulder right into Teedo's thin, pockmarked face.

She looked around and counted four more men with Plutt.

"How -" Rey tried to ask, but her words were cut short when Plutt backhanded her. Her vision blurred and she would have lost her footing, but Teedo held her upright as her feet slide in the dew-covered grass.

The thugs around her laughed as she spat blood out of her mouth, her tongue tracing the cuts on the inside of her cheek from her teeth.

"Oh Rey, you are gonna get taught an important lesson tonight, my girl. One I know you'll never forget," Plutt raised his hand again and a loud howl rang out around them.

Rey watched as the men paused, unsure of what that was or why it seemed so close.

"Was that ah wolf?" One of them asked, looking around himself into the shadows beyond the trees and the glowing light from the burning cabin.

"Shut up. Just some stray mutt. No damn wolf is gonna attack us. Plus, that'll scare 'em away," Plutt pointed to the cabin, now half encased in flames.

"Shame, that was a nice little home you had there. Whaddya do to get it? How much dick did you have to suck for this place?" Plutt reached over and squeezed Rey's jaw with a mean glint in his eyes. Rey just glared at him.

"You good at it now? Hmm?" Should we find out?" Teedo breathed in her ear just before he pushed her down onto her knees.

A low growl rolled out from the treeline making two of the men jump and face the sound.

Rey watched as Plutt turned in time to see a huge black clawed hand reach out and slice the throat out of the man nearest the trees.

"Wha da fuck?!"

"The fuck is that?!"

"RUN!"

The thugs started yelling and running away from the trees as they saw their friend's lifeless body crumple to the ground.

Before they were halfway to the cabin, the _skin-walker_ lunged from the shadows, raking his massive claws down the next man, shedding clothing and skin like tissue paper.

Rey tried to follow the black-furred blur as he leaped onto the next henchman, but with the steadily growing fire at her back and Teedo panicking, yanking her to her feet and shoving her away from himself. Rey lost track of the werewolf in the chaos.

She stumbled, acutely aware of just how underdressed she was in only a t-shirt and panties. The grass was cold and wet on her legs and the heat was getting more intense at her back.

As she limped into the trees she heard a scream that ended abruptly as another growl filled the air. She closed her eyes and held onto the tree, trying to think of what to do next, if there was anyone she should reach or get to. A small part of her wished Ben was there, but she didn't want to see him maimed or killed, so it was for the best, she thought, that he wasn't here right now.

More shouting, sounding too close for her comfort, Rey pressed herself against the tree. She held her breath as she tried to hide.

She felt a soft brush of _something_ along her face. Rey opened her eyes to see the werewolf, looming over her. His eyes glowed in the darkness, the colors looking like fire dancing in the night.

A soft groan escaped the beast as he leaned down, bringing his blunted muzzle next to her face. Rey held as still as she could, not knowing what to do.

The werewolf lightly rubbed his jaw along hers, repeating the action on the other side as well. His breath was hot and his fur prickled her cheeks, but she didn't dare flinch as he moved back from her.

Rey looked up, unsure of what to do or what had transpired, but the werewolf wasn't looking at her. In a flash the _skin-walker_ bolted past her, kicking up leaves in his wake. There was another scream before she even turned to see where the beast had gone. The last of Plutt's men had been moving close to where she had hidden.

She looked towards the sounds of struggling but as she approached, the werewolf stood up, blood glistening in the growing light of the burning cabin. His eyes met hers again, a soft growl left him and he turned, running the opposite direction away from her. Rey didn't let herself look down, glad the forest floor hid most of the mangled body from her sight. 

She took a few tentative steps towards the cabin, thinking Plutt and his cronies must have driven here. Their cars should be parks down by the road. If she can’t find the keys, Rey figures she could try and hotwire it. Then she could get to Maz or Ben and everything would be better, she just needs to get past the cabin and down to the road.

Rey skirted the treeline, trying to pick her way around the twigs and sticks on her bare feet, but just as she neared the mouth of the path, Plutt roughly grabbed her from behind.

“What the fuck is that thing?!” Plutt whispered harshly in her with his arm wrapped around her neck.

Strangely Rey wasn’t afraid anymore. She realized she felt fine, great even. Enough so to be cocky in her reply, “Oh him, well, that’s my pet monster.”

As if on queue, there was a loud growl from behind them. Plutt wheeled around, using Rey as a shield, putting her between himself and the monster. Rey smiled to herself, she could feel Plutt trembling at her back.

She watched as the werewolf stalked forward on all fours, the midnight fur of his shoulders raised while murder lurked in his yellow-red eyes. Plutt swallowed loudly and started shuffling backward, forcing Rey to move with him. She had her eyes trained on her werewolf when she noticed a flicker of movement in the darkness behind him. She tensed about to shout out, when she saw Teedo running up behind the beast with a knife in his hand, ready to plunge it down into the werewolf’s unguarded back.

There was a blur of motion and then Teedo’s body went flying into the side of the cabin, breaking through the burning wall with a defining crack of the boards giving way and the roof collapsing as the charred supports gave out.

Plutt and Rey both jumped in surprise. The beast stood up on his hind legs towering over them and Plutt shoved Rey at the monster before he took off running as fast as his legs could move.

Rey felt surrounded by solid heated muscle and fur. She closed her eyes for a moment, just letting herself be held. She realized she trusted her werewolf and let him cradle her. The warm embrace lasted only a moment before he unwrapped his arms from her. With a soft groan and quick huff in her face, the beast moved away, sprinting after Plutt.

Against her better judgment, Rey ran after them.

Rey didn’t want Plutt reaching his vehicle, remembering full well he often kept a loaded gun in it. She didn’t know if it would kill her werewolf, but she didn’t want to find out either.

There was a scream, followed by the sounds of growls and shorter cut-off screams. 

Her werewolf must have gotten Plutt before he reached the road.

Rey was mildly disappointed in herself when she couldn’t find any compassion in herself to care about Plutt’s fate.

She slowed her run when she found them on the path. Plutt wasn’t moving anymore, but her werewolf, he was still tearing at the man’s body. The widening puddle of black under him must have been blood, but the night stole the color from it. Saving Rey from having to see it.

The werewolf stilled as she slowly walked up to him. She reached out and ran her hand over the coarse fur along his back. She marveled as her hand was lost in the blackness. He gave a low whine before he turned his body from Plutt’s cooling corpse.

While his bulk, Rey noticed he was herding her, shielding her from the sight. She huffed a little laugh, but let him maneuver her back up the trail near the cabin. She walked alongside him, keeping her hand buried in his thick fur.

As they walked, Rey tried to see where the werewolf was leading her, but it was so dark in the forest, she could barely see the trees crowding around them. After some time, the ground become softer, fewer pine-needles and twigs and more dirt.

Rey felt the werewolf nudge her more and she felt the ground shift down. She leaned down, squinted in the darkness to see there was a small opening in the ground, in the side of the slope of the mountain.

A den. Her werewolf had led her to his den.

Rey smiled ruefully to herself and snorted a self-conscious laugh. She reached over and patted him on the shoulder.

“Alright, you great beastie, I’ll go inside,” She said before, ducking down and using her hands to feel along the den’s walls.

Slowly she moved deeper inside, until her toes meet a soft blanket, in a small depression in the floor. Rey gratefully leaned down, laying herself down and letting her body rest. Her werewolf was right behind her. She felt him curl up, wrapping his warmth and long arms over her. With a deep contented sigh, Rey let sleep take her over. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little blood and gore to help get you in the spirit of the season!


	11. Epilogue: Running Free

Rey awoke sometime later, unsure of exactly when it was. For as heavy as her limbs felt, it could have been an entire day later for all she could tell. She stretched, feeling something cumbersome and hot covering her. Without too much effort, Rey shrugged off the weight and crawled out of the earthen depression. 

She gave herself room to stretch, rotating her neck and shoulders, easing the stiffness in her joints. The den felt overly warm to her and she wanted to be outside in the fresh air, keeping her head down as she moved out of the den. 

It was near dawn and everything around her was covered in a heavy dew. The ground was cold under her feet, but it felt wonderful to her. Rey had never felt this warm before and that thought made her think of the fire, the cabin and she could smell ash faintly on the air. Even with the acid taste to the air, everything felt clean, finally free and clean to her. 

There was a twig snapped off to her left. Rey turned to see what it was, but she smelled him before she could see him. That thick heavy musk of fur and  _ him _ reached her nose as she looked towards the sound. The werewolf’s silhouette emerged from between the trees. He stopped, waiting for her to do something. 

She realized he had intentionally alerted her to him. His posture was neutral, but as always there was an air about him, waiting, always waiting. 

Waiting for her. 

Rey thought about her options. She could go back to town, stay with Maz and then leave; Ben was another option, and there was her wolf. What would he do if she were to leave? She shifted closer to him without noticing it. 

He came out of the shadows, walking closer and his scent grew stronger around her. 

_ Wait, Ben? _

How - why was she smelling  _ Ben _ on her wolf? 

Rey tensed, looking over his body, looking for fresh blood. Had Ben come looking for her while she was asleep and the werewolf killed him?

Rey looked around, trying to see if there was a body nearby, but when she looked back to her left, her wolf was right beside her and she was staring into his eyes. 

_ Ben’s eyes. _

How had she never seen that before?   


She stood frozen as he leaned down, gently nuzzling her, rubbing his jaw along hers. Rey felt him huff, warm air rushing over her shoulder before he buried his face there. 

He whined in the back of his throat and she understood it, felt the emotion of it in herself. 

He was beyond happy. He was  _ home.  _

He raised his head, a loud howl full of joy rose from his throat and without hesitation, Rey joined him.

  
  
  


_ 3 Months Later _

 

_ Let me teach you how to be a wolf.  _

The words blazed in her head as she watched Ben load the last of the supplies into the Wrangler. 

Her memory was hazy about Plutt and the fire. Parts were very clear, while others were cloudy at best. She understood a week had passed before she had shifted back to  _ human, _ but time was different in her wolf-skin, as Ben put it. 

Urges were stronger, sense of self and caution fell away and you just  _ were,  _ as he had phrased it. Rey thought she understood it, but Ben explained calmly that she still needed to learn it. She needed to learn how to be a wolf. 

After they had returned to his lodge, most of which was a blur of smells and green images smeared together in her memory, Rey had watched Ben shift back to human. She had whined at him when he asked her to try it. She hadn't wanted to go back. 

She remembered thinking of how easy it was, how free it felt to just  _ be, _ but in the end, her sense of self had won out and she willed her fur away. Letting her wolf rest in the back of her mind.

Her return to two legs had been a shock, but Ben had been prepared. He had a thick blanket, a cup of savory stew and the fireplace lite in no time. He settled her down on the couch and just held her. 

He had stroked her hair, petting her while he told her of the first time he shifted his skin. Of how his family had taken it, of his Grandfather and when he learned about the family legacy.

Or curse.

Depending on who you asked. 

"Maz told me, but I didn't believe her," Rey said after a long span of silence. 

"Maz told you what?" He asked softly.

"That the skin-walker stalking me, that he was doing it because he'd found his mate. That I was one too. I didn't believe her," she had stated quietly, still feeling out of sorts, like a soft fog was inside her head making everything seem soft and not real to her.

Ben had stiffened at the word 'stalking' but he hadn't defended himself either. He had hugged her tighter and buried his face in the side of her neck. 

"I scared you. Shit - Rey, I'm sorry! I wasn't thinking clearly then. And you ran the first time I smelled you. It only spiked my instincts to chase. You smelled too damn good to be true."

While Rey had heard his words, as odd as they sounded, after her time in her fur, she understood what he meant. 

"Home." 

"What?" He asked pulling his head up to look at her.

"The first thing I realized when I smelled you was you smelled like  _ home, _ " she turned to see his stunned reaction. "Is that what you smelled when you first saw me?"

Rey watched as he swallowed a few times, his jaw working over the words before he said anything. 

"Home, yeah, but it was more than that," his eyes stared into hers, as he tried to find the words that explained instincts. "You smelled like a dream come true, like sunshine after it rains, like water after being lost in a desert. You smelled like everything I ever wanted," He cradled her cheek, gently brushing her hair back from her face.

"So you kept coming back," Rey stated, before turning her head slightly to lay her face in his palm. 

"Yeah, I couldn't stay away. I was addicted. All I could do was smell you from outside and all I wanted was for you to come outside and see me, let me hold you, take care of you," 

"So you left me presents and kept me feeling trapped for months. I even thought about shooting you at one point," she had closed her eyes, feeling the warmth of his hand, better at warming her than the blanket or the stew had.

He chuckled before she opened her eyes to gaze up at him. 

"I might have let you. I am thoroughly besotted by you. I truly am your monster," Ben's expression was rueful, but he smiled gently at her, as she leaned into his chest. 

From then on, he had been nothing but a gentle understanding monster for her. 

When they finally got in contact with Maz about what had happened, Rey was felt steady enough to offer to rebuild the cabin, but Maz declined. She had said the cabin had served its purpose and now it was time to build elsewhere. Ben had offered to help with whatever was needed. 

Now as they were heading out, going up north to an area Ben said would be perfect for Rey to really get some room to run and "stretch her legs" as Ben put it. She was both nervous and excited. She hadn’t chanced to shifting back into her fur and her wolf was getting impatient with her. Rey swore she could feel her wolf pacing around in the back of her mind, waiting. Waiting to be let out and  _ run. _

He was going to teach her how to _ be  _ a wolf. To use her instincts and to hunt. Plenty of deer and rabbits where they would be staying and it was part of the Reservation so free of people roaming around that might get in the way. Maz had said she'd make sure of it. 

Rey looked over and smiled at Ben as he climbed into the driver’s seat. He grinned at her, a wide toothy smile that lit up his whole face and made his eyes nearly disappear. It made her heart contract a little every time he gave her that smile. She reached over and squeezed his hand as he put the wrangler in reverse and started down the road. 

  
  
~ _ fin. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all. Sorry for the utter failure on my part for wrapping this one up in a timely fashion. My will to write and drive to get anything done has literally abandoned me for the most part. I've got ideas aplenty, but no motivation to do more than rough outlines and some sketched dialogue. 
> 
> As with a lot of us, TROS just gutted me. I guess I'm licking my wounds now. I'll heal and move on, just like all of us. It just sucks. So so much. I'm not done, as I've got my own fix-it fic in the works as well as a few others that are my normal MO AU stuff. I'll keep plugging away at it them and post when I feel I have something worth sharing. 
> 
> TTFN for now.

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome to my take on werewolves! So you see, I have a long family history when it comes to shapeshifters and werecritters. After a long debate with myself, I decided to let this story come out for others to read. I'll try to stick to the two-week postings since I have the majority for the story plotted out. This installment is un-beta'd do please excuse any glaring flaws in grammar. 
> 
> I'll be expanding my Monster series, as I also have an Unseelie fae in the works too. We'll just have to see what other monsters decide to creep out of the shadows after this!


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